Hide And Seek
by xoxomtmodnarxoxo
Summary: No matter how fast you run, no matter how hard you try to hide... The past will always come back to haunt you. Revised sequel to 'Running From The Enemy'.
1. The Beginning

**Hello! Lordy, I can't believe that it's almost been one year since I published 'Running From The Enemy'! How time flies! Now, my regular readers might be quite confused about the progress of 'Hide And Seek', and honestly, I can't blame you, so explanations and details about this mystery can be found on my profile.**

**Anyway, I do hope you enjoy the updated version of my sequel to 'Running From The Enemy', and to readers who are new to this story are advised to read 'Running From The Enemy' in order to create an understanding behind the plot.**

**In this chapter Lindsay, Mei, and Frank are all OCs. Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and Shadow belong to Sega, which I do not own.**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

The wind blew gently and smoothly outside the bedroom window, filled with reassurance and prosperity, like a cool breeze during a heat wave reassuring everyone that the heat will eventually flow away. It was a calm night, it was a peaceful night. Yet, despite the cool air, the small bedroom within the apartment in Towns Square was surprisingly snug. Inside, Lindsay was busy stitching materials together in order to make curtains. It was poorly done, but a very good attempt nonetheless. As she sighed with irritation at the curtains, she looked up at her four-year old daughter, Mei, who sat on her bed in an excited manner whilst clutching her favourite teddy bear, her piercing emerald eyes begging her mother to continue her story.

"And then what happened?", Mei asked impatiently. Lindsay sat up abruptly, as though somebody had struck her with a hot iron rod, and quickly scanned the page in the storybook. And groaned. She had reached the part of the story which she detested.

"And the _handsome_, brave Knight in shining armour rescued the Princess from the _dangerous_ dragon-"

"Oh!"

"And at that moment, the Princess fell deeply in love with the handsome Knight, and…"

"And…?"

Lindsay bit her tongue. She hated the way fairy tales always ended: the prince-and-the-princess-fell-in-love-and-got-married ending always reminded her of the horrors she had endured four years ago with Sonic. It was too painful for her to remember. It had infuriated her that Mei _loved_ these stories. Lindsay decided to use this to her advantage and altered the ending of the story slightly.

"And… the Princess decided _not_ to fall in love, she decided _not_ to get married, and lived a happy care-free life. The End", she concluded, snapping the storybook shut. Mei squealed automatically, until it dawned on her that the ending of the story was entirely different. _What was that about the Princess not getting married?_, she thought wildly.

"That's it?", Mei asked uncertainly.

"Yep"

"They didn't get married?"

"Nope"

Mei glared at her mother, crossing her arms crossly.

"You changed the ending of the story!", she whined. Lindsay sighed.

"Mei, it's just a story, it doesn't really _matter_", she argued whilst putting the curtains in place. Mei frowned.

"It does for me! You ruined the whole story", she exaggerated. Lindsay couldn't help but laugh at her daughter as she got down from the window and looked at her daughter fondly. Mei was a sweet child, no doubt about it, but she certainly inherited Lindsay's stubbornness which tended to cause disputes between them at the worst of times.

"So, how do you think the story should end?", Lindsay teased Mei. Mei thought hard for a split second, and a big grin came to her face.

"The Knight and the Princess should get married and live happily ever after!", she cried happily, her emerald eyes shining. Mei sighed happily, "I wish I was a Princess so that I could marry a handsome Prince"

Lindsay, again, laughed at her. Mei couldn't help but look crushed at her mother's impudence.

"What?", asked Mei, looking hurt.

"Nothing, sweetie, honest. But-", Lindsay stifled a laugh, "Do you seriously want to be a Princess?"

"Yeah! Duh!"

"Wouldn't you want to do something more _worthwhile_ in your life?", Mei frowned at her mother, and shook her violet, curled quills. Lindsay began to panic slightly. She'd always thought that Mei would be like her; to dream big and have plans to become successful in her future. It felt as thought Mei's up-bringing had been a complete waste of time, as far as Lindsay was concerned. And what about the _other_ problem? Lindsay obviously couldn't tell Mei that she actually_ was_ a Princess in real-life. It would emotionally disrupt Mei.

_What Mei doesn't know won't hurt her_, Lindsay decided. She sighed and sat down beside Mei in her bed, putting her arm around Mei. Mei snuggled in happily. Lindsay happily stroked her hair for a second before continuing.

"What I mean is", she explained, "Don't you want to have a great job, great opportunities, and be happy?"

"But my stories tell me I'd be happy if I met a Prince or a Knight", Mei argued. Lindsay sighed in an infuriated manner. _I got to get rid of those fucking books_, she thought angrily. She turned back to her daughter.

"You see, Mei", she explained further, "Fairy tales don't happen in real life. Life outside in the World is tough and fierce; you will have to tackle your problems yourself. There's no such thing as Princes waiting to rescue you from evil. You're better off having a good career and being happy with your accomplishments-"

"What's that word mean?"

"It means success, a good feeling if you've done well in something. So, Mei, if you could be anything in the entire World, what would it be?"

Mei thought hard. Lindsay knew Mei was doing her very best to think of something; the way Mei screwed her face up, her emerald eyes flickering slightly from left to right…

Mei suddenly sat up, her eyes dazzling.

"I know! I know what I want to be!", she cried, but then she ducked her head shyly, "Oh, but you'd say no"

"No go on, tell me", her mother encouraged her.

"Well, I'd want to be… oh, I can't"

"Well", Lindsay said, "If you won't tell me… I bet you can tell the Tickle Monster!", and began to gently tickle Mei on her ribs. Mei squealed helplessly, laughing loudly and begging Lindsay to stop. After a fond moment, she settled down and nodded slightly, her eyes looking wistful.

"I want to be a ballerina", she finally confided. Lindsay paused, considering this option. A ballerina wasn't too bad of an option; ballerinas were highly respected and were paid good money. Not to mention having the opportunity to travel across the World to perform in very popular shows. Yes, it _did _have it's advantages.

"Mei", Lindsay said whilst lifting Mei's chin with the tip of her forefinger, "If you want to be a ballerina, I'll be more than happy. In fact-"

But she was cut off as somebody knocked at the front door of their apartment. Lindsay looked at the small clock on Mei's bedside table. 10pm. Who would come to visit them at this time of night…?

"Stay right here, Sweetie", Lindsay told her daughter and made her way to the door in the small hallway, questions beginning to spring in her mind: Who was it at the door? Was it Meg for a visit? No, Meg only came round after 9pm if it was an emergency. Seth, Stan, Chris, Dixie? Again, impossible. Especially for Seth and Chris since they would likely spend their evenings at clubs. She reached the door. Hesitated. Would she dare open the door at this time of night…? She could be abducted by assassins, raped by a robber, or sliced by a serial killer if she opened the door…

"Oh, God, I'm delirious", she muttered madly whilst rubbing her forehead. The knocking on the door persisted. She sighed loudly and opened the door cautiously.

And then grimaced. There at the door was her landlord, Frank, a black male hedgehog who was rather impudent even to the clearly unfortunate. Both Lindsay and Frank hadn't gotten on well all the time she had lived there with Mei, and decided to stay out of each other's way unless it was time to pay the rent. Without a doubt, it was probably the reason why Frank was at the door at that moment. He frowned at her.

"Evening", he stated.

"Hey Frank", Lindsay said politely, "What's up?"

"It's time to pay the rent, Miss Taylor"

"Already?", Lindsay asked, stunned. She really hadn't noticed that her rent was due, and she was already a few months behind in her payments. She sighed in dismay, that meant she'd have to pay at a later date. _Again_.

"Look, I'm really sorry, Frankie. I don't have the money just now and-"

"That's _Frank_ to you, Miss Taylor", he snapped, looking very pissed off, "_And_ you're already behind in your rent. You owe me around $290!"

"Look, _Frank_, I've not been paid much by my job, and I have to support Mei and myself. Surely we can come to an agreement…?", she asked hopefully, trying to look innocent. Frank sniffed and frowned at her.

"Are you _hitting_ on me?", he asked, outraged.

"Oh, Christ, _no_!", Lindsay cried, disgusted at the thought, "No. no, what I'd meant was can I pay you in supplements, you know, bit-by-bit?"

Frank breathed in sharply.

"I've been very patient with you, Miss Taylor", he explained, "But I cannot ignore the fact that other tenants in this block have fairly paid their rent whereas _you_ have got away without paying so many times. I've already had discussions about you with your neighbours-"

"Ex_cuse_ me?", she asked, outraged.

"And they agree that you've to take some responsibility in your life. If it were up to me I'd throw you out of your apartment right here and now"

"But-but-", Lindsay spluttered, "Frank, _please_", she paused and sighed, "I have a daughter to think about. I have nowhere else to go. Not just now. Please. _Please_ give us more time"

Frank paused for a moment, and pondered. Lindsay held her breath. Any deal would be better than being evicted at that moment. Anything. Frank sighed.

"Alright", he concluded, "I'll give you two more days to pay me the money you owe. If I don't receive any money, I'll expect you to leave at the end of the week. And that's _final_"

And with that, Frank left down the hallway and down the stairs. Lindsay froze on the spot, considering the situation. It was Tuesday, and if she didn't have the money by Thursday, she and Mei would be doomed to be homeless. Slowly and gently, she closed and locked the front door… and slid to the floor. Wondering what to do next.

* * *

The Towns Square was alive with jazz musicians, businessmen, students travelling to school and universities in the area, and tourists. Lindsay envied their freedom, their vast opportunities, their happiness. True, she was happy she had Mei, but it was becoming more and more difficult to manage on her own. As she dropped Mei off at a Day-care nursery, Lindsay looked at her surroundings as she took the tram on the way to work. Towns Square wasn't too bad, really, it had modern shops, churches, museums, universities, clubs… but it still wasn't a patch on Capital City. For one thing, women were still thought of an inferior to men. In addition, marriage was heavily stressed upon in the area, but the rules were relaxed as far as arranged marriages were concerned. If a woman wasn't happy about her marriage, she was allowed to prevent it from taking place. Also, rules and views about dying hair, clothes, drinking and swearing were also very relaxed. Lindsay cursed to herself as she reached her stop. Why couldn't she have been born in Towns Square in the first place?

Lindsay looked at the café she worked in. 'Jenny's'. It was a small, select café which was situated near the town centre. It was a bit shabby, but it wasn't to be sniffed at. It made reasonable money, and attracted many customers. She sighed and walked into the café. As she closed the door behind her, Lindsay pinned a smile on her face at Amy Rose, who was making tea behind the counter for two businessmen. Amy smiled whilst pouring the tea.

"Morning Linds", she called. Lindsay waved slightly and made her way to the backroom. When she dumped her bag and jacket, she appeared back into the café in her uniform. Amy smiled and handed her a cup of tea.

"So how's things?", Amy enquired. Lindsay sighed; she didn't want to use Amy as a personal leaning post, but she was just _desperate_ to confide in someone. She was desperate to change the subject, and focussed on the music playing in the background instead.

"What the hell is that playing?", she asked over the jazz music from the CD Player.

"It's 'In The Mood' by Glen Miller. It's old, but still very popular", Amy answered, "So, how's things?"

"Shit"

"That bad?"

"Yep"

Lindsay let out everything, there and then. Amy sighed, lectured her, and hugged her sympathetically.

"Hey, things will only get worse before it gets better", Amy admitted.

"Thanks", Lindsay answered sarcastically, "But how am I suppose to get $290 in two days?"

"I don't know", Amy admitted, "Maybe you can kind of take out a loan?"

"Yeah, and then I'd be loaning more money than ever"

"What about moving back in with your parents?"

"No way! They're history!"

"Then you're kind of screwed, my friend"

"No duh, Sherlock", Lindsay sighed, "I don't know what to do… I really don't"

The two girls stood for a moment, unable to say anything to one another. Amy suddenly sat up eagerly.

"I know!", she squealed, "I have a friend who works in the performing arts! Maybe they can give you a job?"

"Geez, Ames, I don't know…"

"He told me that he had a client who danced in a festival and they earned over $200 on their first day. Think of it! In one day, they had earned $200; imagine how much they would earn in two days…", Amy teased. Lindsay hesitated, considering the idea. The idea of dancing for money seemed really sleazy and disgusting… but then again, she _was_ desperate for the money. And how hard could it be to dance for strangers?

"Tell me, is it all… sleaze, you know…?", Lindsay enquired cautiously.

"Nope! It's all highly respectable. They treat their clients very well, honest!"

"Well…", Lindsay dithered, "I'll have to think about it"

"If you change your mind, here's his phone number", Amy scribbled a number in a notelet and handed it her. At that moment of time, college students came into the café, hungry. Amy sighed.

"We'll talk later", she laughed, "Right now we've got mouths to feed!"

* * *

"Yeah, who is this?", the voice asked on the other end of the line. Lindsay swallowed nervously and spoke into the phone.

"Hi, this is-", Lindsay paused. She remembered her cover-up name which she used when Sonic was searching for her, and thought it useful to use it now, "This is Celie Carter. I was told about your company and I'm interested in applying", she paused delicately, "Erm, who's this I'm speaking to?"

"This is Shadow"

"Oh"

"Who told you about our company?"

"A friend"

"Cool", he answered, "If you're interested, then come to this address. Get a pen and piece of paper ready"

"Oh-yeah. Cool", Lindsay answered whilst searching for a pen and paper. Amy stood beside her and gave her a thumbs-up gesture. Lindsay felt as if all her problems were over; she was now at peace regarding most of her worries. Still, there was still the matter of performing…

* * *

Highly respectable indeed! She stared with horror at her surroundings. The streets were dark with nightfall, but what was most disturbing about it was the fact that the streets were rough, the people were threatening, and worst of all, the address that Shadow had given Lindsay led her to a shabby club. She felt revolted that she ended up here. Then again, looks can be deceiving at the worst of times. Did she dare go into the club…?

She didn't have to. The door opened by itself, and out came a male echidna. He was tall, heavily built like a gorilla, and he frowned at Lindsay behind his shades. She wanted to run away right there and then.

"You the new kid?", he enquired in a serious tone.

"How'd you know?", Lindsay enquired.

"Cause you've been standing out here for about twenty minutes", he answered, "Get inside"

And she did. She didn't need persuading. However, the club inside wasn't as bad and sleazy as she had expected: It was… _exotic_, a spacious area with dim lighting, silk curtains on door hinges, purple walls, and soft music in the background. Lindsay stood nervously and took in her surroundings. It seemed safe, but there was something about it that she couldn't put her finger on…

"Carter?", a dark voice enquired. Lindsay turned around. There stood an ebony hedgehog with red streaks in his quills, a serious expression on his face, his red eyes looking at her suspiciously. She didn't really like the look of him.

"Celie Carter?", he tried again. She caught on and nodded nervously.

"Yes", she croaked, "I presume you're Shadow?"

"That's right", he answered. He looked at her up and down again, "How old are you, again?"

"Eighteen", Lindsay answered. Well, she would be in a years time.

"Fine, and you're still interested?"

"Yeah"

"Fine", he stated, "Follow me"

Shadow led them to a small office. Lindsay sat down at his desk, not daring to look at him straight in the face. Shadow peered at her again. She dared to question him.

"What?", she asked.

"You look awfully young", he remarked.

"Um ,thank you?"

"I'm just saying, we look after our staff to a great extent", he explained, "If I find out that you've been lying about your age, I'd be willing to excuse you from the post. My business is NOT one of those infamous clubs you hear on the news who hire young children from the streets"

"I didn't say you were", she argued, and then bit her tongue. When would she learn to hold her tongue at the worst of times? Shadow frowned at her. Lindsay stared innocently back at him, waiting for him to ask her to leave…

Shadow smirked, and shook his head.

"You're street-wise", he commented, "That's a good thing. You'd be surprised how many innocent girls have been taken for granted in this business. But you at least have spunk. Now, as for your hours…"

"Is it during the daytime?"

"Why? Do you have another job?"

"Yeah, in a café"

"Your shifts are during the evening, and we'll be happy to send you a taxi to take you home. If we need you to do an extra shift, we'll let you know in advance-"

"How much would I be paid?"

Shadow smirked again.

"It depends on your performance. If you want good money, knock the audience dead, otherwise we'll pay you $4.18 an hour"

"That's… not bad"

"It's a _good_ rate"

"And what about the job? What am I doing?"

"You'll be dancing onstage from time to time, however you'll also be serving a few tables, so there's always something to do"

"And is it all… _sleazy_…?"

"No", Shadow confirmed in a stern tone of voice, "We don't see ourselves as a sleazy club, for a start. We look after our colleagues well, and we have a good reputation. We see ourselves as an exotic club - nothing more"

"So… when do I start?"

"Tonight"

Lindsay was taken aback slightly. She hadn't expected to start as early as this. And what about Mei? Who was able to look after her at such short notice? She pondered this offer. Shadow looked at her again.

"Is that a problem?", he enquired suspiciously. Lindsay shook her head nervously.

"No, no", she answered, "It's just that-"

"Then there's no problem then", he concluded and smiled in a dismissive fashion, "I'll see you at half past eight, then?"

* * *

"Hey!", Knuckles shouted over the noisy traffic, "Hey, Sonic!"

Sonic looked up from his cell phone, and sighed irritably. Great. Of all days that he wanted to be alone, it was interrupted by an inconsiderate person. For the past couple of years, _every_ day was an irritating day for him. Which was understandable for him considering his experiences in the past.

Four years. To Sonic, it seemed like yesterday when he had been struck by the car and left for dead. He was left in a terrible condition in which his head was savagely split open, allowing him to lose a great amount of blood, not to mention his badly bruised body and broken ribs and fractures. He tried to forget the horrible memories, but they remained in his mind, as did the hideous scar on the back of his head. Sonic anxiously traced the scar as he watched Knuckles make his way through the traffic, cursing at a student driver.

Four years. Four terrible years of uncertainty, anxiety, anger, and hurt. He couldn't even recall the number of visits he had from his therapist; it was all a distant blurred haze in the back of his mind. Nothing had distracted him. As each day went by, Sonic's sanity slowly drained away. He began to question himself. Supposing he had a few anger issues? Did he really intimidate others around him? Is that why Lindsay had left him?

Lindsay.

Not a day went by when he didn't think about her. He wondered how she was doing, what she was doing at that precise moment, where she was…

His therapist expected Sonic to forget about her, which was ridiculous. _She_ was the reason that he was in such a mess. _She_ was the reason why he was constantly exhausted. _She _was the reason why he was emotionally drained. _She _was the reason why Sonic had isolated himself from everybody else…

"Wait up, buddy!", Knuckles called and clapped Sonic's right shoulder in a friendly manner, "How've you been, man?"

Sonic scoffed. He had such a nerve!

"Good days and bad days", he answered back darkly, "Still, I don't suppose it matters, really, just the typical lifestyle of a crazy person"

"Whoa!", Knuckles exclaimed, "Just a simple question, man"

"Whatever", Sonic answered back, "So… what are you _doing_ here?"

"Just out and about. You know me. What about yourself?"

"Just hanging around"

"So… how's things been, Sonic?"

"What do _you_ think?"

"That bad?"

"Yep"

"And… Lindsay?"

"God, are you seriously this _stupid_?", Sonic snapped and began to walk away rapidly. Knuckles followed him like a persistent pet. He was very concerned. Sonic had really changed during the previous years. Usually it was himself who was quite ironic about everything, but seeing one of his friends becoming like him was… _scary_.

"Sorry! Sorry!", Knuckles exclaimed, "I didn't mean any harm, dude. I'm just worried about ya-"

"Well, there's no reason to be worried about me! I'm just fine, okay?", Sonic shouted and continued his way down the busy street. Knuckles continued to follow him.

"No you're not", Knuckles argued.

"Oh, fuck _off_!", Sonic growled. Knuckles grabbed Sonic's shoulders and forced Sonic to look at him. He looked very ill; with eyes red with fatigue, a pale complexion and quills brushed back in a bedraggled manner.

"You're _not_ okay, Sonic", Knuckles concluded, "Wanna talk?"

"No! Jesus, why won't everybody just leave me _alone_?"

"Seriously, dude, you need a bit of fun. You busy tonight?"

Sonic sighed. _Anything for a quiet life_, he thought to himself impatiently whilst scuffing his shoes on the ground.

"Nope", he admitted.

"Great!", Knuckles exclaimed happily, "Come out with me tonight. It'll be fun! I know this place where…"

Sonic gazed at his surroundings in a desperate manner, regretting his answer. He really didn't want to go anywhere, he was perfectly content being by himself. What had he got himself into…?


	2. Revealed

**A/N**

**Rouge, Sonic and co. belong to Sega. Characters such as Lindsay, Tammy, and Lisa are OCs.**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

"Hey! Another beer over here!", called a stranger. Lindsay grimaced. She felt completely ridiculous as she was dressed in a revealing outfit, her quills piled high in a seductive manner, her make-up provocative from her point of view. She had only been working for a couple of hours and she definitely regretted having accepting the job in the first place. Indeed, the pay was reasonable, the other colleagues were very friendly and welcoming, and the tips from the customers were _very_ promising… but the job was very degrading, for the women, mostly. They danced exotic dances and revealed themselves in humiliating ways, however there was no sleaze to the job; Shadow was true to his word.

Lindsay sighed and made her way over to the customer, scuffing her heels in the process. She was most _definitely _going to kill Amy for suggesting this job in the first place!

"Didn't I just get you one?", she asked, infuriated whilst placing a hand on her hip angrily. The customer chuckled in a drunken manner and looked at her up and down, obviously not caring that she was exhausted and irritated.

"Well, that's just me, babe, I'm like a drinking machine", he joked, "Go on - the customer's always right!". Lindsay cursed silently to herself as she poured the customer another drink. The customer looked at her again in a leering fashion.

"I don't know if anybody's told you", he slurred, "But you've got the hottest body in this club"

"Ex_cuse_ me?", Lindsay cried, outraged.

"Are you single by any chance?", the customer persisted. Revolted, Lindsay slammed the full glass onto the table and marched away.

"You didn't answer my question!", the customer called out.

"Fuck off!", Lindsay shouted back over the loud music. She sighed heavily and marched over to the bar where one of her colleagues, Rouge, was working. The bat saw the young hedgehog approaching and looked at her sympathetically.

"Don't take it to heart, hon", Rouge explained, "I get men like him all the time!"

"How do you _stand_ it, Rouge?", Lindsay complained whilst she sat down heavily on one seat.

"Well, Celie, it's a hard job, but it's good money", Rouge chuckled, "And I didn't hear you complaining when you were given a tip by that customer!"

"Still", Lindsay complained whilst rubbing her sore feet roughly, "The men in here are like rabbits! Always wanting us to entertain them!"

"You just need to know your limit, and _then _it will get easier from then on", Rouge explained and nodded at another colleague, a female fox, who was laughing and flirting with a customer nearby, "Take Lisa, for instance, she'll flirt until the cows come home but when her flirting becomes too much to handle-", Lindsay observed with fascination as Lisa suddenly looked offended and slapped the customer's hand viciously off of her waist, and immediately marched off with her head held high. The customer looked baffled, "- she gives the customer the old slap-on-the-hand and walks away", Rouge explained, "And look at Tammy", Lindsay turned her attention to a female echidna who was smiling in a saucy manner whilst scribbling down a number on a napkin, "Tammy gets a lot of attention so she gives customers a fake number so that they'll get off of her back. If there's any trouble, our security will get rid of the trouble-makers. So you see, you need a certain boundary: be mysterious and seductive but be hard-to-get at the same time"

"Ah, right", Lindsay answered, "Thanks"

Much to her dismay, her customer returned to her, staggering slightly from drinking too much and fumbled in his wallet. He produced several dollar bills.

"Here's a little something for this lovely young lady", he slurred and handed the notes to Lindsay. Rouge raised her eyelids in a surprised manner. The customer suddenly produced his credit cards.

"I suppose I need to pay for my drinks", he said in a light-headed manner. He winked at Lindsay happily, "What card should I use to pay? My silver credit card or Discovery card?"

Lindsay looked Rouge. Rouge signalled suggestively with her eyes. It was her time to shine. To find her boundary from clingy men. Lindsay smirked and slinked towards the customer in a flirtatious manner. The customer smiled delightedly.

"I think you should pay with your credit card", Lindsay cooed, a big vein standing out on her forehead because of her effort.

"And, eh, why's that?", the customer flirted back, enjoying Lindsay's company. Lindsay leant forward, smiling mysteriously, and whispered into his ear, "Because… it matches your wedding ring"

Rouge burst out laughing. On the customer's finger was an obvious silver ring The customer swallowed nervously, knowing he had been caught out. He smirked, slightly stunned, paid for his drinks rapidly, immediately left the club, leaving the girls to laugh at his expense.

"Well, I'll be damned", Rouge commented, "There ya go, your limit is the wedding ring excuse. Use it wisely!"

* * *

"See!", Knuckles exclaimed, "You just needed a night out"

Sonic grimaced. He wasn't used to going out in public ever since Lindsay had left him for dead many years ago. He didn't trust anyone, even himself. And truthfully, he was afraid to be around people he didn't even know. And now that Knuckles had dragged him out into the town, he felt smothered by a sea of unknown strangers, possibly carrying unknown dangers around with them, threatening his life, his sanity.

Yet, supposing he was just hallucinating? Suppose those who surrounded him were just ordinary people, enjoying a night out in the town? He didn't know who they really were deep down, why should he bother? Then again, everyone certainly knew who _he _was and therefore couldn't stop staring at his hideous scar, whispering, gossiping, questioning behind his back about what happened to his wife…?

"You okay, man?", Knuckles enquired, interrupting Sonic's line of thought. He hesitated. Sonic desperately wanted to go home, yet he didn't want to lose his social status for an eternity. He breathed in slowly.

"'Course I am", he smiled.

"Great! So, here's the place I told you about earlier. It's suppose to be really popular", Knuckles announced whilst introducing Sonic to a nightclub. Sonic looked at it, slightly bemused. He _so _wasn't a nightclub fanatic, in fact he found them incredibly tedious. He scoffed slightly and shook his head.

"Sorry, dude", he admitted, "I'm not a club person"

"Aw, c'mon Sonic", Knuckles coaxed, "It'll be fun! And who knows, maybe you'll meet somebody tonight-"

"And _what_ do you mean by that?", Sonic enquired suspiciously.

"Hey, I'm just saying, maybe you should move on from the past, Sonic", he reassured the angry hedgehog, "I know the past couple of years have been tough for you, but you shouldn't always hang onto the past. Learn from it… _move on_"

"And if I can't?"

"Well…", Knuckles shrugged, "That's your problem, not mine. But even you have to admit that life goes on whatever happens and that includes you"

Sonic paused in the street, pondering. His past, his horrible memories were as welcome to him as a piece of ham was to a vegetarian. He was too anxious, too afraid to even consider moving on. However, maybe moving on from the past _did _have it's benefits, maybe it was what he really needed…?

"So, are you in or out?", Knuckles persuaded. Sonic dithered on the spot. He had a choice to make: either to bid farewell to dignity or to move on in life… as if nothing had ever happened…

"I'm in", he suddenly announced. Knuckles grinned and coaxed the blue hedgehog into the building.

* * *

"-We were making pancakes, but then Mei fell asleep and got pancake mix all over her face", Dixie chuckled on the other side of the payphone. Lindsay chuckled. She was grateful to have friends who were willing to help her out at the worst of times. Lindsay wondered at various points in her life whether or not she really took her friends for granted, but then again she _had _saved their lives once before, so in a sense they were equal considering favours.

"That sounds like Mei, alright-", she giggled but was suddenly elbowed in the back, "Excuse _me_", she pointed out to the rude customer and continued, "-listen, Dix, I'm so thankful that you were able to look after tonight"

"Aw, that's alright, we really don't mind!", Dixie exclaimed, "So how's your new job working out?"

"Well… it's-", before Lindsay could continue, Tammy suddenly appeared beside her, looking exhausted and defeated, "Celie, we need you to go onstage now. I've finished my shift and Rouge is busy with the bar. Could you be a hon and help out?"

"But I… do I-I have to?", Lindsay gasped. She had never thought of actually performing onstage since starting the job that night; it was mostly serving drinks to drunks up until then. Tammy pleaded in a silly prayer gesture until Lindsay eventually gave in.

"Dix, I have to go, I'll come to collect Mei around one-ish", Lindsay said through the speaker, "See you then". She straightened up and looked at Tammy, "Where do you need me?"

* * *

The club was stuffy. The music was loud. The atmosphere was busy. Why was he here at all? Sonic sighed heavily as he looked gloomily at his half-empty glass. At least the drinks were reasonable. He tried to relax but much to his dismay Knuckles had requested a few girls to join them at the table. It was unbearable. One girl took interest in Sonic and attempted to flirt with him without much success.

"And what's your name?", she asked in a flirtatious manner, hoping her foreign accent would gain her success. He looked at her disapprovingly.

"And you are?", he replied. The girl smirked.

"I'm Lisa", she winked slyly, "You live around here?"

"Why, do you?"

"Maybe", she smirked, "Why, you asking?". Sonic decided to mock her. He downed the last of his drink. He turned around to her, smirking.

"You dancing?", he asked. Lisa, slightly stunned, fluttered her eyelashes and straightened her dress, attempting to show off her curves to a great extent. She winked slyly yet again.

"Well, if the offer's there", she hinted.

"If the offer's there", Sonic repeated, chuckling, but then he suddenly snapped, "Do you honestly have any self-respect?"

"Excuse me?", Lisa stammered with disbelief. Of all the years she had been working at the club, she'd never had the misfortune of meeting such a rude and abrupt customer. Sonic frowned at her with disgust, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Look", he informed her, "I've had a rough day and a rough life and I can't deal with people like _you_ just now, so you've chosen the worst time to piss me off! Do you ever realise there are innocent girls out there who are given a bad name 'cause you dress up in such a ridiculous way? Do you ever think about your own image?-"

"Sonic!", Knuckles warned.

"Shut the fuck up, Knuckles", Sonic snapped at the bewildered echidna, and then turned his attention back to Lisa, "Do me and everybody else a favour, change your image and get a decent, _respectable_ job, because frankly you're making a complete fool of yourself if you think you can get _my _attention"

Lisa opened her move and closed it quickly. She got up and marched to the small staff room, humiliated and upset with what had happened to her. Sonic breathed out and sat back, regaining himself. Knuckles stared at him and asked the other girl to leave. He leaned forward over the table.

"What the _hell_ was that?", Knuckles enquired, stunned and horrified with Sonic's actions. Sonic quickly downed two glasses of alcohol. He shook his head.

"Shut up"

"But-"

"Just… shut up. It was _your _idea to come here tonight, and I just can't deal with it just now", Sonic sighed, "I just can't deal with _life_ as it is…"

"Are you on medication?"

"Well, I am, but I don't take it"

"Well, why the fuck not?"

"I don't deserve help. I'm an idiot. I'm useless…", Sonic's voice croaked, and he fiercely rubbed his eyes to stop tears spilling down his cheeks, "That's why Lindsay left me; because I was too aggressive, I was too controlling. I feel so stupid… I just want to see her again, just to apologise. Oh God, it hurts so…"

There was an awkward pause.

"I'm really sorry, Sonic", Knuckles remarked sympathetically, "I didn't know…"

"It's cool", Sonic answered and rubbed his forehead roughly. He got up, "I need to go now, but it's great to see you again. Let's make sure not to leave it for too long next time-"

"Alright guys?", said a male hawk with a camp voice who suddenly appeared at the table. Sonic frowned at him.

"Oh, God. That's just all I need", he muttered and put his jacket back on. The hawk tried to ignore his comment. And then he looked at Sonic closely.

"I don't believe it!", he cried, "I said to Tammy that it was you but she was like, 'no way, Brendan', and so _I_ said-"

"Look, are you here for any reason at all?", Sonic snapped. He really didn't feel like socialising at all, especially with strangers who were amazed to be in his presence.

"Sorry, Sire, but we don't normally have celebrities visiting our small club", Brendan admitted, "Oh, and Tammy was wondering if all those rumours about your wife was true, but I said that it would be too rude to ask but-"

"_That_ is none of your business", Sonic snarled back. Honestly, couldn't people just keep out of business when they knew they weren't wanted?

"Sorry! Sorry, anyways are you two staying long at all?", Brendan asked curiously.

"No, why?", Knuckles asked.

"Well, if you're interested, we've got a new member in our club who's a cute sweetheart-"

"Great, another washed-up whore", Sonic muttered. Brendan didn't ignore his comment.

"Oh no, she knows what she's doing, but if you're interested in a little mystery and romance, you're best to stay a couple of minutes to see her debut! She's a little sweetheart, despite of everything. Also, drinks are half-price after 11pm", Brendan concluded and placed small advertisements on the table, leaving a small silence behind him to attract more customers. Knuckles shrugged.

"Oh well, sounds good", he commented, sipping his drink.

"…Nah", Sonic shook his head.

"Are you actually leaving?", Knuckles asked.

"Duh, isn't it obvious?", Sonic asked with disbelief.

"Aw, come on, man. Stay for the show at least, you might enjoy it"

"Knuckles, I can assure you, I won't be enjoying whatever they pull out of their magician's hat", but as Sonic made this remark, Brendan was seen climbing onto the stage in the distance, grabbing the microphone in an enthusiastic manner.

"Guys, here's your chance to see the finest new member of the club, the ultimate sex on fire, the one to enchant your strongest desires!", he announced provocatively, whilst the crowds where eagerly awaiting the performer. Successfully gaining the audiences' attention, Brendan raised his other arm in the air, shaking it slightly... and he suddenly threw his raised arm downwards, throwing small smoke pellets onto the stage surrounding his feet, which caused small, loud crackling sounds mixing with the music onstage, smoke exploding all around him, but when the smoke cleared the audience could see that Brendan had disappeared entirely… and in his place emerged a curvy, sexy young female hedgehog with ruffled curled quills, wearing a revealing red dress with a slit up one leg, and flat sandals, slinking seductively to the music.

* * *

Lindsay slowly stood up, a hand on one hip, the other hiding half of her face behind her small fan. She looked at her audience in a seductive fashion. To her, the audience were plain idiots, easily amused by anything, especially by a couple of smoke pellets and a simple outfit. She suddenly felt self-conscious. Were they really entertained by her entrance onstage, or were they secretly laughing at her and she was simply not aware of it? But she couldn't stop now. She was no longer Lindsay Taylor, she was Celie Carter, an erotic dancer in order to earn money. _Thank God that customer left_, she thought privately. The music began to quicken its pace, so Lindsay began to strut and dance seductively to the music, enjoying the energy onstage. The audience were very appreciative; exclaiming and wolf-whistling as she tempted them by pulling out a silk scarf from the back of her dress in a suggestive manner. She peered quickly into the crowds to see if she could earn more money by being more interactive.

* * *

Sonic's jaw dropped as he saw the young performer being ogled by the crowds. He couldn't believe it! Was it Lindsay…? He peered at her. Her eyes met his, a sexy smirk on her face as she scanned the crowds.

Oh, yes. It was her. So much for the girl he once knew who wanted to study law and make something for herself! He couldn't help but stare as she began to dance.

He didn't know how to react; he still had hatred towards Lindsay who had ruined his life, who robbed him from his confidence, who gave him the awful scar… and yet… the moment he saw her, he felt love returning to his emotions, as though she hadn't done anything to hurt him, mentally and physically. The ambivalence was too much. He needed fresh air. He turned around and tried to get through the transfixed men who exclaimed yet again to Lindsay's dancing.

* * *

Lindsay's attention caught a male hedgehog trying to leave the club. Lindsay Taylor wouldn't care and would have allowed him to simply leave, but her split personality Celie Carter craved attention, as though it were a drug and she was a drug addict. She couldn't let herself down, not during her first performance.

She glided elegantly on her tip toes off of the stage and caught up with the stranger. She climbed easily onto the table he was sitting at and hooked her scarf around his neck so that he was forced to look at her.

* * *

Sonic felt something wrap around his neck, and he was forcibly spun around until he was face-to-face with Lindsay, her scarf around his neck.

* * *

Where had she seen his stranger before? As the stranger spun around in a surprised manner, Lindsay took note of the severely hacked blue quills and the horrible scar the customer had on his head.

_Quit thinking about the damn customers, just do your job!_, she thought fiercely, and smiled slyly when his eyes met hers. She shivered at the emerald eyes looking straight back at her. She _had _met him before, and it was an uncomfortable feeling. Despite this, she pulled his face closer to hers as she smirked and leaned closer to him, her lips in a sweet pouting fashion. Lindsay leaned forward slowly, her lips very nearly touching his as she caressed his cheek… and suddenly shoved him away unexpectedly, chuckling saucily as she pranced back onto the stage, enjoying the energy around her.

Yet, the familiar stranger still remained a mystery to her - who was he?

* * *

She had such a nerve! Sonic angrily pulled the silk scarf draped around his neck. All these years of being tormented by the horrible memories, the two hedgehogs had reunited unexpectedly, and for one split second he had almost wanted Lindsay to show sympathy towards his pain and suffering… and instead she humiliated him in front of a crowd of idiots who were laughing at the hidden joke behind her sudden performance, nudging each other behind his back, joking, making inappropriate comments. Even Knuckles was laughing!

"Well, well", Knuckles commented over the loud music, "I didn't know you were a master of the ladies! Feel free to pass on any words of wisdom down my way"

Sonic ignored him and looked back at the exotic dancer onstage, who was glancing back at him, teasing him as she looked at him up and down in a satisfied manner and smirked as she swung her hips to the rhythm of the music, showing off her curves as she posed, as if to say, _You're not good enough for me, move on, you stupid fool._

It was time for a proper chat, after four long years.

* * *

As she spun twice and did a cartwheel, Lindsay couldn't help but notice dollar bills being thrown onto the stage. Her heart began to beat wildly, quickly counting up the money… 120, 135,155, what was that? A ten? Then that was… $165 dollars already! Plus she had the extra 40 dollars from the customer from earlier, so that was roughly around $205 dollars in one night! Not bad! Another night shift and a few tips from her day job, and her debt would be paid off!

Content, she leaped towards the pole on the stage and grabbed it with both hands and spun around the pole until she eventually came to a halt, looking at her adoring public upside down whilst tucking one leg around the pole and the other sticking out, showing off her leg. The audience roared with approval and Lindsay flung her hair back in a concluding fashion. Her heart was beating consistently, her breathing was out of balance, but she felt empowered, she felt superior. Brendan climbed back onstage to announce the next performer whilst Lindsay quickly collected the money around her. She gave a thumbs-up to Rouge who was clapping her hands at the performance. After one final bow, she left the stage.

* * *

"Dude, that was freakin' awesome", Knuckles remarked, still stunned by the performance, "So… are you still going home or staying?"

"Mm, maybe later", Sonic answered, "I'm going to look for someone, don't wait for me"

"Who do you mean? That dancer", Knuckles raised his eyelids in a surprised manner, "I'd thought you had made a catch there!"

"No, not that, I just saw somebody I knew in the crowds, I just want to catch up with news"

"Cool. See you then", Knuckles called over the music, and Sonic left his friend behind, making his way over to the staff room.

* * *

Tucking the notes into her bag, Lindsay suddenly felt exhausted after a hard day's work. Not only that, she had to pick up Mei from Dixie's apartment. She pondered what to do with Mei when it was apparent now that she was going to be working night shifts every night at the club. She couldn't possibly take Mei to the club, it was simply inappropriate to do so, but she couldn't keep asking her friends to look after her own daughter. What kind of a mother would she be in that was the case?

She heard a noise behind her. Voices, and then the door opened. She expected it to be one of her colleagues finishing their shift, but there as a creepy silence behind her, no laughter or gossiping or jokes. Was she simply hearing things?

Lindsay spun around and stared back at the emerald eyes of the customer she had flirted with earlier. She froze. Only then did she truly recognise who the familiar hedgehog was. Her colour drained from her face, and she could barely breathe. She was in danger. Sonic stared back at her, intimidating her. She glanced the area around her and cleared her throat nervously.

"Listen", she started, "I'm really sorry. If I had known-"

He wasn't listening to her. Instead, he looked at the small locker room, filled with outfits, mirrors, lockers, and boxes of make-up. He smirked.

"So", he suddenly said, "This is where you ended up, eh?"

Lindsay felt herself blushing but remained calm and collected. It was _his_ turn to mock her, and she didn't like it at all.

"So what happened to your _dream_?", he persisted, "What happened to that?"

She paused delicately. Lindsay couldn't tell him the _actual_ truth of why she was desperate to make money at short notice and under humiliating consequences. It was simply too dangerous. She tried to distract his attention.

"I thought you were-", she began to whisper but Sonic cut her off unexpectedly.

"Dead?", he suggested, "Well, you got it wrong there, didn't you? Took you by surprise, didn't it?"

There was a brief silence.

"Yes", she finally admitted. She cleared her throat again, not being able to look at him properly, "So… how have you been?"

"How have I been?", Sonic repeated slowly, "How have I _been_?", and with that he marched closer to Lindsay. She suddenly felt scared, scrambling away from him.

"I swear to God, make any move, and I'll call security", she warned firmly.

"No, I'm sorry, you actually have the nerve to ask how I've been?", he asked.

"It was only out of politeness!", she protested.

"Well, let's see, how can I put four years of suffering into one simple answer", he stood, leaning slightly to one side, his head tilted to the left, "You left me, tried to kill me, emotionally and physically _destroyed_ me, and then you made a complete idiot out of me back there, and _now_ you say you're sorry?", he drew breath, "Well how _dare_ you!"

"Well, it's lovely to see that you've not changed at all", she spat back angrily, "Controlling, paranoid and absolutely… _crazy_"

"Say that again", he growled, "Go on, I dare you"

"You heard me, you fucking crazy moron!"

Suddenly, Sonic slapped her fiercely on her face. Lindsay took aback, slightly shocked but filled with anger at the same time. She delicately traced her burning cheek, and abruptly slapped him back with the back of her hand. Sonic stood on his ground, and shook his head sadly.

"So now we're even after all this time", he concluded. He looked at her but she remained distant and refused to look back at him, "Why don't you look at me?"

"Listen I-I… I need to go now", she hinted, and tried to get past him with her bag but was suddenly pulled back by her arm until she was looking at Sonic straight in the face.

"No we're going to settle this like adults", he said firmly, tightening his grip on her arm, "Linds… why did you leave me?"

"I-I… I j-just", she shrugged helplessly, "Look, I had other plans in my life and being with you was not one of them and-and… your behaviour scared me a lot, even you have to admit that-"

"But, Linds, I really did love you… I still do"

Oh, God. Not exactly the words she wanted to hear at that moment of time. Lindsay shook her head sympathetically, and tidied her quills slightly. She dared to look at him properly.

"Look, Sonic, you're a nice guy at the best of times, I can't deny it. But when things don't go the way _you _want them to turn out, it's no excuse to take it out on others. I wanted to be different from other girls from back home, I just wanted to be happy for my own successes in life and _make _something for myself", Lindsay absent-mindedly took a hold of his right hand and squeezed it reassuringly, "It's never going to work out between us, it's time to move on and find somebody else… just go on and live your life just like what I'm about to do"

"But… we can still stay in contact?", Sonic asked hopefully. Lindsay shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry", she whispered and let go of his hand. Only just when she turned her back on him did Sonic suddenly asked, "Just like that?"

"… Just like that", she whispered.

"As if nothing ever happened", he persisted.

"Yep", Sonic leaned against a wall in the room, pondering the predicament that he was in. Lindsay felt terrible, but it had to be said. He had to understand boundaries, at least. She turned to leave again and Sonic suddenly piped up, "Wait!".

Lindsay sighed. Did he not understand plain English?

To her surprise, Sonic found his wallet and fished out several dollar bills and gave them to her. She held them loosely in her hand, unable to respond.

"Thanks for the dance", he explained, "… and the advice"

Lindsay glanced at the dollar bills and couldn't help but react slightly to the amount of money he had given her. There were a few 50 dollar notes within the fist full of dollars.

"You're lucky nobody robs you", she remarked, "Funny, I heard there was an Economic Depression on just now"

"No, keep it, you worked hard tonight. You deserved it"

"Sonic, I _can't_ accept this amount of money", she protested but she desperately needed it, "How could you possibly carry this amount of money around with you? Christ, I bet it's of the same value as your wedding ring…", Lindsay had just realised she had automatically used her Wedding-ring excuse in order to get Sonic to leave, just as she had done with other overly-eager customers that evening. Sonic paused and stared at her. She looked away awkwardly.

"That's funny", he remarked, "I could have said the same thing for _your_ wedding ring"

And with that, he left the room, leaving Lindsay to fall to the floor in a defeated fashion, feeling guilty and afraid.


	3. Perchance To Dream

**A/N**

**Sonic belongs to Sega. Other characters in this chapter belong to Sega.**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

"Right, boys", Sonic announced, "Let's get down to business", he then noticed that they weren't paying him much attention so he tried again, "Are you guys even listening to me?"

He watched silently as the four hedgehogs were too busy socialising and messing around rather than listen to their father. The eldest, Josh, realised Sonic was being serious and stood firmly, awaiting his orders. The second eldest of the boys, Finley, remained too disruptive, laughing and joking and ignoring his younger brothers, Kyle and Seth and his older brother standing at attention, waiting for action. Sonic leaned forward, Finley smirked back still humoured by his jokes.

"That's enough, Fin", he remarked and then straightened up, "So, what are we in the mood for, today?"

"I missed out on yesterday's archery lesson", Kyle admitted sadly, "I had a science test to study for"

"Cool. Archery", Sonic smiled, "Everybody else happy with that?"

"Yeah, that's cool", Josh nodded eagerly.

"I can't aim properly using my left hand!", Seth complained, his ears drooping slightly. Sonic smiled again at his sons, proudly. Ever since each of his son could walk properly, he had been training them to prepare for any possible wars in the future, in order to bring a good name to his family regarding the Army, and also because of the boys' passion for action and adventure. Josh, 17 years old, a dark purple hedgehog with short quills and turquoise eyes was a determined person who loved action to a great extent; he was a promising student and trainee, but a little too precocious if so. Finley, 16 years old, a very close identical to Sonic with dark blue skin, short quills layered around his neck with quills swept to the side for a fringe and emerald eyes, was slightly disruptive and rebellious at the worst of times, however he was quick and creative when he was faced with danger and action, which Sonic considered as a brilliant talent. Kyle, 12 years old, was a purple hedgehog, like Josh, however his quills had a tint of blue at the ends and he had a mixture of emerald and turquoise eyes, making his eyes his best feature of his appearance. He was quite a shy boy; always quiet and kept to himself, especially whilst in training, but Sonic knew that Kyle had potential at standard level of training; within a few years Kyle would be ready for battle in an instant. Seth, only 10 years old, a dark blue hedgehog with turquoise eyes and tousled quills seemed quite innocent to the eye, but he was unpredictable as though he had fire within his system ready to unleash his true power. He was adequately professional, even at the standard level of training, but he had flaws every now and then, but Sonic didn't mind at all.

He was more than happy with his sons who were training.

"Right", he announced, "First thing's first is that we'll collect the equipment and then-"

"_Daddy!_", a voice cried. Sonic turned around, and saw his youngest son running towards them, a furious expression on his face. Adrian was only 5 years old, an exact replica of his father who was always desperate for adventure. He _adored_ his father and was always desperate to spend time with him. However, Sonic didn't think this was the case when Adrian finally reached them, furious.

"Adrian", Sonic exclaimed awkwardly, "What's up, Little Man?"

"This isn't _fair_!", Adrian roared, "I want to join in, too! Why can't I join, too? You said that I could join in with everybody else!"

"Sorry, dude", Finley suddenly announced, "No Smurfs allowed"

Adrian looked crushed. Josh, Seth and Kyle guffawed awkwardly but after one fierce glare from Sonic they silenced themselves immediately. Sonic turned back to Adrian, not wanting to exclude his son, yet not wanting him to be in danger at the same time.

"Well… thing is, Little Man, you're a little too young for Archery, it's kind of advanced stuff. Why don't you go and see what Mom or what your sisters are doing?"

"Oh, but they're _boring_!", Adrian groaned, "All Christine and Mia talk about is boys and clothes, and Mommy is just sitting in the kitchen; she even shouted at me 'cause I ran about in the kitchen. I don't know what I did wrong, she just started shouting… I don't want to go near her again…"

Sonic looked at Adrian with sympathy and with slight suspicion. This didn't sound like his wife at all; normally she was quite calm and collected and brilliant with kids. He would soon sort that out, but what was he to do with Adrian - Adrian could easily harm himself as he was not familiar with using complex equipment, but excluding him would be a terrible feeling…

"Tell you what, Little Man", he announced, "Why don't you stand next to me and watch what your brothers are doing, and once they've shot their targets, you go up and collect their arrows when I say it's safe to do so, how's that sound?"

Adrian paused, his head tilted to one side, pondering. Then, he suddenly smiled happily.

"Deal!", Adrian exclaimed and clambered to his father almost immediately. Sonic chuckled and lifted Adrian onto his shoulders, and began the lesson.

The Archery lesson was, to an extent, exhausting. Sonic could see improvement within Seth's performance and Josh and Kyle were, as always, very contributing. Finley remained a problem within discipline. Sure, he joined in effectively, yet he was too distracted and never took the rules of safety within the activity seriously. Sonic sighed almost despairingly; it was as though explaining the dangers of Archery to Finley was a complete and utter waste of time.

"Hey, Little Man", Sonic said to Adrian, "Go and collect their arrows"

"Check me out!", Adrian called out whilst running towards the targeted wall, targets painted at four separate areas, arrows sticking out of it as though it were trying to prevent the arrows from spearing through, and in a sense posed a threat, a warning, "I'm awesome 'cause I'm Dad's helper and I'm allowed to help out! One day I'm going to kill some bad guys and maybe win a medal!"

Adrian's brothers chuckled fondly and encouraged their younger brother in a brotherly yet light-hearted manner. Finley smirked and suddenly aimed his bow and arrow towards the wall that Adrian was running towards.

"Don't do it, man", Josh warned. Finley ignored him.

"Hey, Metal Gear Solid!", Finley called out to Adrian, "Think fast!", and immediately shot his arrow.

"Adrian!", Sonic shouted, "**Get **_**DOWN**_!"

Intimidated by the sudden shouting around him, Adrian accidentally tripped and skidded his knees slightly on the gravel. The arrow very nearly speared his head, shooting down to the ground in front of the sobbing child. Finley's face lost its colour as he bit his lip nervously, frightened that he had actually hit his younger brother. Sonic was _not _impressed. He ran towards Adrian, only to discover that Adrian was perfectly okay however his knees were bloody. Sonic immediately stood up and marched towards Finley.

"What the _**hell**_do you think you were doing?", he roared at Finley, "If you weren't careful, you could have easily _killed _your brother! What possessed you, you stupid fool?"

Much to his infuriation, Finley shrugged awkwardly, not daring to look into his father's eyes.

"I thought it would be funny", he mumbled nervously.

"Funny", Sonic repeated, "I don't see the humour behind trying to seriously injure a loved one, do you?"

Finley didn't answer.

"_Do_ you?"

"No…"

Sonic picked up Adrian and placed his howling son carefully into his arms, "Killing someone who is classed as an enemy is one thing, but 'accidentally' putting your innocent brother in a near-death is entirely different. You've possibly affected your brother which would haunt him for the rest of his days!", he looked at his other sons, "Guys, I'm heading home with Adrian but keep an eye on Finley - don't let him out of your sight, don't let him near the equipment. In fact, take his equipment off of him-"

"That's so not cool, Dad!", Finley remarked. Sonic glared at him.

"I've got my eye on you. In future, I'll make sure that Adrian won't look up to someone who is as idiotic as you. We'll talk later", he remarked to his rebellious son in a menacing tone, leaving Finley shaking slightly with fear.

"That was scary!", Adrian remarked fearfully, still shaken by the memories, "I nearly died!"

"You were very _lucky_", Sonic answered back whilst reaching the large doors at the patio, leading into their kitchen, "I think the big guy upstairs was watching over you, today. Your brother was a stupid idiot"

"Is Finley going to get in trouble?", Adrian enquired and added in a small voice, "Was it my fault?"

"None of it's your fault, Little Man - don't ever think that. No, your brother was a stupid, stupid…", Sonic struggled to think of the appropriate noun in front of an infant, "… idiot"

The kitchen gleamed with cleanliness when the blue hedgehog and his son stepped inside; the cutlery was safely stacked away in drawers, cooking pots and pans glimmered in the sunlight as they were carefully placed on the hooks on the walls near the cooker, the kitchen table in the middle of the room had immaculate high-chairs surrounding it as though they were rarely used. Huge windows and the large doors allowed sunlight to shine into the room, bringing a warm, pleasant atmosphere.

They were not alone. Nearby a maid was busy watering a potted plant by one of the many doorways, and at the kitchen table was Lindsay perched on one of the high-chairs, sipping a glass of iced tea. Sonic noticed that she looked quite pale which was a contrast to her blue dress that she was wearing. She stared into space as she sipped the drink again, a book open at a certain page but was not being read, her face creased with anxiety.

"Linds?", Sonic enquired. Lindsay shot up and smiled automatically at her husband and her son. Then her jaw dropped slightly with shock and horror as she witnessed Adrian's grazed legs, and immediately jumped out of her chair to her son.

"Adrian?", she asked with disbelief, "What happened to you?"

"Finley being an imbecile", Sonic explained briefly and added with a mutter, "We need to sort him out, Linds"

"Later", she answered, "First, we need to take a look at Adrian's legs"

"It was so scary!", Adrian added for good measure, "I nearly died!"

"Just a minute, Adrian", Sonic answered and marched over to the maid in the room, "You!", he stated firmly and furiously, "I thought I told you to keep an eye on my son!"

"Sir, I-I-I did b-but", the maid stuttered, obviously fearing for the sake of her job. She glanced at the sobbing infant and cried out, "Oh, manega la miseria! What happened to the child?"

"That's exactly what I'm enquiring", Sonic stated, "When I asked you to keep an eye on my son, I expect you to do it!"

"But, Sir, I-I w-was told to let him see you", she answered back.

"And since _when_ did I order you to do that?"

"Sonic!", Lindsay snapped unexpectedly, "Damn it, it was _me _who told him to go and play outside," everybody stared at her with shock. She tucked her quills behind her shoulders and stood up boldly, "I was feeling a bit off, and Adrian wouldn't listen to me when I asked him to be quiet, so I told him to play in the garden, okay? So leave her alone"

Sonic paused delicately. He looked back guiltily back at the cowardly maid.

"You may go", he muttered. The maid bowed gratefully and fearfully fled out of the room. He then breathed in slowly and returned his attention to Adrian.

"Right", he stated as cheerfully as possible, "Where's the bandages?"

Both Sonic and Lindsay were a good team being parents. Lindsay carefully washed Adrian's cuts whilst Sonic bandaged them up, both of them happily chatting to Adrian in order to calm him down from his experience earlier on. Adrian eventually stopped crying and began to chat back confidently, happy to spend a moment with his parents.

"Feeling better?", Lindsay asked whilst clearing away cloths. Adrian nodded happily.

"Much much better", he exclaimed and then added in a melancholy voice, "Sorry I made you angry earlier, Mommy"

Lindsay smiled and gently kissed her son on his head, suddenly feeling at ease for the first time within days.

"Hey, why don't you go back outside and show your brothers how brave you've been?", she suggested.

"Yeah, show them you're a brave trooper, Little Man", Sonic hinted. Adrian didn't need encouraging. He enthusiastically jumped off of the chair he was sitting on and ran out into the garden, leaving a brief pause in the kitchen. Lindsay sighed slightly as she put away the box of bandages. Sonic stood awkwardly near her.

"Tired?", he asked.

"Done out", she answered.

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Can't remember. I kept waking up and dozing off. I don't know why I was doing it, I just felt like it", she explained sadly.

"You're anxious about something?"

"Maybe. Maybe not - I honestly don't know", Lindsay sighed, "In fact-"

She was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing in a nearby hallway. She shrugged slightly and left to answer the phone. Sonic shrugged amusingly by himself and cleared Lindsay's half-empty iced tea away, but couldn't help but eavesdrop in Lindsay's conversation nearby. It intrigued him as he suddenly heard an excited and delighted, "_Really_?", and then more mumbles and then a, "But I definitely am…? Oh, good, good! Thank you so much for letting me know… Yes, I'll see you then". There was a pause, and - without any warning - Lindsay scuttled back into the kitchen and happily leaped on Sonic, hugging him cheerfully. He was amazed by her sudden affection.

"Hey", he chuckled, "What was that?"

"I, uh, just got a call from the doctor-"

"What is it? Are you okay?"

Lindsay smiled happily, "I'll let you guess". Sonic caught on quickly. He leaned forward happily and spoke in an amazed tone of voice, "You mean you're…?". Lindsay nodded happily and began laughing. They suddenly embraced a hug. Sonic stroked her quills gently and lovingly. Lindsay swayed slightly in his arms, enjoying the embrace.

"Mother", he joked. This was the common phrase they remarked to each other whenever a pregnancy was announced to express their joy and happiness. Lindsay looked up and smiled.

"Father", she joked back.

"So that's why you snapped at Adrian this morning", he recalled, "God, if I'd known about this-"

"I didn't know about it either, that's why I went to the doctor 'cause I didn't feel like myself"

"I can't believe this", Sonic explained, "This is amazing news, Linds!"

"We've been blessed", she replied wistfully. Sonic continued to stroke her quills gently, wrapping his arms around her lovingly.

"You love me, don't you, Linds?", he asked suddenly. Lindsay looked back up at him and smiled back at him.

"You know I do", she answered back…

* * *

Sonic shot up in his bed, sweat pouring from his forehead in the darkened room, awake and alert. Yet instead of having Lindsay beside him, Sonic found himself clutching nothing but the empty air. When the realisation hit him, he felt more lonely and confused than ever. So many years had he been haunted by the memories and the possibilities he could have had with her - the way his life _could _have turned out… and the fact that they were very unlikely to become reality.

He settled down under the covers again, wondering when the taunting dreams would come back and in which ways they would tease his sanity. Sonic didn't care that Lindsay told him to stay away. He had to speak to her again.

* * *

The dress that lay at the end of Lindsay's bed remained a disturbing memory that disrupted her mind ever since she got home with Mei. She sat up in bed and stared at the outfit she wore that night as though her life depended on it. Red. The colour stood out on the grey bed sheets, emphasising the danger within relationships and flirting, both of which had created a dramatic turning point in her life that very night. Why was this suddenly happening to her? And the way she _acted _in front of Sonic! Lindsay wanted to shrivel up and die at the very memory. No wonder he couldn't leave her alone at all that night, he couldn't even escape her mind. She paused and look at her digital alarm clock.

1:30am.

Sighing, Lindsay gave in and lay down under the covers, knowing the fatigue around her eyes would never go away at this point of time. She needed rest and time to decide what she was to do next. Ideas such as changing identities, changing appearances, and moving destinations swam in her mind like an unwanted typhoon, but for now, she needed to sleep at least for a while, where she would finally get peace that night; a nice, peaceful slumber…

* * *

Or so she thought. Lindsay slowly became aware that she was in a large, darkened room where the atmosphere was intense, promising possible pain and distress as far as she was concerned. As she tenderly sat up on the bed where she lay, she realised too late that her hands were tied to separate areas of the décor on the bedpost behind her, tightly with thick cords. However, her legs were free and as she struggled to sit up properly, Lindsay was horrified to learn that the outfit she was wearing was the exact same dress that she wore at the nightclub. Tugging desperately, she began to panic slightly for the dark, depressing atmosphere began to intimidate her to a great extent.

"Anybody there?", she called towards the several doors in the room after failing to break free from the cords. There was no answer. Lindsay tried again.

"Hello?", she cried out into the darkness, "Please help me! Where the fuck am I?".

Again, there was no reassuring sound, no immediate rescue. She laid back slightly into the bed, exhausted from trying to break free and annoyed the fact that she was not able to rescue herself. The cords began to dig into her skin deeply, leaving ugly markings around her wrists. _Well_, she thought to herself despairingly, _they know how to make a girl comfortable_.

Suddenly, there was a noise outside the door.

The door opened.

Lindsay craned her head towards the direction of the sound and peered through the gloomy darkness. Somebody was in the room, approaching her slowly and in an intimidating manner, the doors closing sharply behind them. Lindsay struggled to sit up and again and looked at the shadow in a desperate fashion.

"Please", she explained, "Please. I don't know how I got here. Help me. Please, help me…"

The shadow chuckled slightly, approaching Lindsay to her right slowly. They traced their hand gently over the shape of Lindsay's right foot.

"I always loved this dress", the shadow commented, a familiar male voice breaking the deafening silence in the room, "It was always my favourite…"

"Oh, fuck", Lindsay dared to whisper, "Tell me you're not…"

The shadow appeared in the only visibly lightened area in the room, next to the bed, his blue quills reflecting the light in an intimidating manner, his emerald eyes gleaming, his face fixed into a smirk. Lindsay wanted to scream, but the scream automatically died in her mouth. She stared, trans-fixed and frozen as she watched Sonic lean towards her and stroke her cheek gently. She shivered at his touch.

"You knew that I'd like this dress", he remarked, amused, "It was the exact same dress you wore on our wedding night, wasn't it, Linds?"

"Who gives a shit?", she spat back, finding her voice at long last.

"I do because I like the way it looks on you", he chuckled and then paused, "Why are you moving so jerkily?"

"Because, you _fuckhead_", she growled, "I'm tied up to the fucking bedpost! What sort of sick trick is this?"

"What trick?", Sonic asked dangerously, moving closer to her, "I think it suits you, Linds"

Lindsay lost her temper and kicked her free legs about, managing to strike Sonic in the face. After being struck, Sonic paused and chuckled again, shaking his head slowly. He quickly caught a hold of her kicking legs together, clamping them down onto the bed, smirking evilly. Lindsay cried out in an infuriated manner and tried to struggle away.

"So, you like to play games, huh?", he asked, "I like playing games. What game shall we play tonight, Linds?"

"Fuck you!", she hissed into his face.

"Ooh," he grinned, "Sounds like fun. Though you seem too tense to play that sort of game. Why don't you relax a little? You might enjoy it more that way", and with that he began to fondle the end of her dress and slowly drew it back so that her thighs were exposed to a great extent. Lindsay began to cry, knowing that she couldn't defend herself from the dangers that were ahead of her. She tried to struggle out of his grasp once more, however it was useless for he tightened his grip on her. Her fear, her anxiety was revealed which made the situation even more embarrassing for Lindsay.

"Do-don't", she croaked, "Just… don't, please…", but Sonic chuckled softly at her fear.

"You might be saying no…", he stated and slowly bent down and kissed her quivering neck and slowly looked back up, "But your body says otherwise…"

The feeling was too unbearable for Lindsay. She had never experienced a dream that was so vivid. It was unbelievable, and although this wasn't happening to her in real life, Lindsay knew that in a sense her true phobias were being exposed, leaving her feeling vulnerable. She allowed a few tears to spill down her cheeks, revealing how hopeless she had felt there and then; she didn't care about anything any longer. Lindsay suddenly felt Sonic's left thumb gently brush her tears away.

"Hey", he whispered, "No tears"

"I just- I just can't-", she croaked, more tears spilling from her eyes.

"There's no need for tears", he whispered softly, "Am I really scaring you, Linds?"

Realising that he was partly distracted, Lindsay nodded slightly and wriggled her tied wrists slowly but in an obvious manner.

"Mm, it's just that my wrists really hurt", she complained, "and the whole thing's taken me by surprise"

"Really?"

"Yeah", she answered weakly and then managed to look into his emerald eyes and asked softly, "Do you think you can untie my wrists?"

"Depends", he answered dangerously with a knowing smile on his face, "Are you still willing to play our little game?"

She paused, pondering.

"Whatever you want", she dared answer, "I'm all yours…"

Sonic paused for a moment, and then reluctantly untied her wrists. After feeling the blood circulating back into her hands, Lindsay slowly sat up and inspected her wrists, attempting to delay the action for as much as possible. He had different plans. Sonic leaned forward suggestively, backing her up against the bedpost.

"So", he continued, "Where were we?"

She smiled innocently and leant towards him… and suddenly punched him in the face. Blood spurted in a horrifying fashion from his nose as Sonic cried out angrily. Lindsay didn't dither. She knew time was precious. She frantically scuttled from her position and ran towards the doors in which Sonic had entered from. To her horror, there other doors within the room which confused her memory. She opened and closed each set of doors quickly and fearfully, until at last there was a set of doors which led to a hallway

Lindsay ran.

The hallway was as dark as the bedroom in which Lindsay ran in a flustered manner, accidentally bumping into objects and very nearly running into walls as she turn each corner in the building; an extended maze. She ran down every hallway, turned every corner, paused over half-known portraits on the walls… until she collided into a small hedgehog.

Lindsay pulled back and gasped. She was facing Mei. Mei looked very immaculate, as she wore a white cotton dress and matching socks and shoes and a white bow in her violet curls, a solemn and pale expression on her face. She stood upright in the corridor, making no attempt to relax or move.

"Mei!", Lindsay hissed, "Oh my God, what's going on? What are we doing here? Are you okay?"

"Join in our game of hide and seek, Mommy", Mei replied in a wistful tone, her eyes wide with excitement, "For ever…"

"Damn it!", Lindsay cried, "What the hell are you talking about? Mei, let's just get the fuck out of here!"

Mei ignored her pleas.

"… And ever", Mei concluded and began to giggle, her hands covering her mouth in an intriguing manner. Lindsay had no idea why, until she felt somebody grab her arm fiercely. She turned around and cried out as Sonic smiled in a sadistic manner, clutching her arm.

"Tag…", he stated, "… Found you"

And with that, he suddenly threw Lindsay into the nearest wall viciously. Lindsay expected pain to rip through her body, but to her surprise she swept through the walls as though she were a ghost, and somehow landed back straight onto the bed she originally woke up from. She cursed spitefully to herself; not even in her dreams could she fight against Sonic successfully. He was always one step ahead. She stared with horror as the hedgehog she feared and hated was back in the room again.

And then a thought occurred to her. If she were dreaming, perhaps screaming out loud in her dreams would encourage Mei to come and wake her up in real-life.

"_Wake me up!_", she howled as loud as she could. Sonic chuckled at this display, and leaned over her on the bed.

"Do you seriously think that anyone would come to help you?", he enquired, "Besides, it's only you and me"

"Wake me up, wake me up, wake me up", she whispered in a frantic manner, shutting her eyes.

"Look at me, Linds", he muttered, "Look at me"

She refused to do so.

"Look at what you've done to me", he hissed, tilting his head to the side so that his scar was visible for her to see. Lindsay couldn't help but open her eyes and stare at it. If only she had killed him whilst running him over with his Lamborghini, then she wouldn't have to endure this hellish nightmare. Yet, Sonic couldn't _really _hurt her, right there and then, could he? As it was only a dream…

"This isn't real", she muttered whilst closing her eyes tightly, urging herself to wake up into reality, "This isn't real…"

"Oh", Sonic answered, "It's as real as it's going to get, Linds, trust me"

"Oh, God", she whimpered. She had to wake up, this dream was too realistic for her to handle. Sonic smirked as he leant closer to her.

"We're going to be in here for a long time", he remarked in an intimidating tone of voice as he began to pin her arms and legs down onto the bed, "Just you and me…"

Lindsay gave one last blood-curdling scream…

* * *

"Mommy?", a timid voice asked.

Lindsay shot up in her bed, sweating pouring off of her forehead like the Niagra Falls. She peered all around for any obvious dangers or signs and jumped slightly when she saw a small, violet hedgehog looking back at her fearfully, the moonlight highlighting her creased facial features, confused and lost over what was going on.

"Mei…?", Lindsay whispered, still stunned from the nightmare, "Wha-what… what is it, sweetie?"

"You were screaming in your sleep", Mei answered back innocently, "I was frightened - I didn't know what to do! I was gonna call Auntie Meg, but then you shouted at me to wake you up, so I-I came in, a-and I tried to tap you on the shoulder b-but you kept jumping about, screaming…"

"Oh. Right. I see", Lindsay stammered, running her fingers through her quills, shaking.

"Are you okay, Mommy?", Mei asked worriedly.

"Yes!", Lindsay stated, "Yes, I am… I just had a bad dream, that's all. Hey, why don't you sleep beside me tonight?"

"Okay!", Mei answered happily and eagerly climbed into the bed. Lindsay immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter and attempted to settle down, yet her heart continued to beat rapidly at the idea of her previous dream. She had never experienced a dream that was so intense in her entire life. Dare she close her eyes once more, unaware of the possible horrific delusions that could haunt her soul forever…?

One thing was completely certain as far as Lindsay was concerned. She was _never _letting Mei out of her sight.

Ever again.


	4. Exposed

A/N - All OCs belong to me. Original Sonic characters belong to SEGA.

* * *

"Oh, my god", Tammy cried, "Are you okay, Celie? You look _awful_!"

"Gee, thanks", Lindsay remarked ironically whilst applying roll-on moisturiser on the bags underneath her eyes. That day had been a long day with serving customers and tourists so she barely had time to put her feet up. And now she had to work another couple of hours behind the bar, the fatigue around her eyes and mind getting worse as time went by. She never went back to sleep after the horrific dream the previous night, and she didn't intend to.

"No, I mean, you look exhausted", Tammy explained whilst peering at Lindsay, "You look as if you didn't sleep at all"

"That's not true!", a small voice piped up, "Mommy did sleep, but she had a very bad dream, but then I was like a big girl because I woke her up and helped her"

Lindsay closed her eyes and sighed heavily. There had been nobody available to look after Mei, so Lindsay had no choice but to bring her to work with her. The other colleagues were very helpful as they promised to keep an eye on her whilst Lindsay served drinks. She hated exposing Mei to such degrading work, so Mei was _not_ allowed to leave the staffroom under any circumstances.

"Is that right, Mei?", Tammy asked in a light-hearted tone and turned back to Lindsay and mouthed, "_She's so cute!"_. Lindsay smiled in an exhausted fashion.

"Yep, but now I have to stay in here and _I _have no idea why, but I can at least have one of the colourful drinks that they serve in here, right?", Mei hinted hopefully.

"Nuh-uh, young lady, not until you're at least sixteen", Lindsay said firmly whilst checking her make-up.

"Aw, buts that's _ages_ away!", Mei complained. A sudden thought came to her mind, "Why is Tammy calling you Celie, Mommy? Your name's not Celie, it's-"

"Okay, that's enough, Mei!", Lindsay snapped before Mei could continue, "Now, we have to go. I'm gonna be back to check on you in about half an hour, so don't speak to _anyone_ and stay here, do you understand me?"

Mei nodded. "Yes, Mommy", she answered. Lindsay smiled at her daughter and tugged Tammy out of the room with her.

"What was Mei going on about, you know, about your name?", Tammy enquired suspiciously, bustling towards the doorway.

"Kids today", Lindsay answered back in a care-free tone, "They'll do anything to wind you up!"

And with that, the two colleagues left together, leaving Mei to sit on one of the chairs in silence, wondering what to do next. She saw in a corner of the room a stack of dresses hanging on rails; their rich, vibrant colours teasing her curiosity. Mei peered fearfully around her in case she would be caught… and happily scuttled over to the dresses, eager to try them on.

* * *

So that was his plan. To go in and simply talk to her. Sonic fought through the continuous wave of citizens living their lives on the lively street. Sonic was envious, the fact that their lives had worked out and his hadn't, therefore he was determined to make it happen as he marched towards the club, dodging the security guard along the way.

All her had to do was talk to Lindsay. No violence, no swearing, no insults. Just a simple conversation, and to get out. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy at all, as though he was forced to sit an examination that he was sure to fail in. Yet, he needed answers, too. Lindsay couldn't simply tell him to go away, there was still a mystery behind all of this, and he needed to know.

The heavy atmosphere smothered Sonic's face like a wet sponge, the music too loud for him to think properly, crowds and dancers confusing his memory until he recognised the door to the staffroom in the distance. Suddenly full of energy, Sonic made his way casually to the door. He placed his right hand on it… until a male echidna security guard suddenly prevented him from going any further.

"What you doin'?", he asked in an African-American accent. Sonic pondered quickly.

"Delivering a telegram", he lied back.

"You got I.D.?"

"Naturally", he lied back.

"Where is it then, blue boy?", the guard enquired curiously.

"Don't worry, I've already let your other colleagues know who I am"

"Still", the guard explained, "How can I be sure that you've done so? I would have been notified"

"Are you _insinuating_ that I'm a liar?", Sonic asked crossly, as he attempted to look intimidating. The guard took offence.

"Naw, man", he hissed back, equally as intimidating, "All I'm sayin' is if you don't have I.D., you ain't getting in. So do us a favour an' get your blue ass out of here. No I.D. - no access. Comprendre?"

Sonic glared back at him.

"Y'all understand?", the guard persisted, and with that Sonic crossly left his position and hovered within the background, watching the guard closely. Time went by. He grew irritated as he stared at the guard who stood at the door defensively… and eventually glanced at his watch and left his position, pulling out his cell phone and dialled a number and began immediately talking as he marched past Sonic without so much as a glance:

"Clarisse, I know that it's my turn to pick up the children on Thursday… Yeah, I know your mother's comin' to town that day, but I can't make it to pick up the kids-"

That was his cue. Sonic immediately made his way to the forbidden room. His system pumped with adrenaline as he opened the door… only to find the room empty from his point of view. Disappointed, he peered around the room sadly… and almost jumped out of his skin when he noticed a small bundle tottering about in high heels, wearing a dress that drowned around the bundle, a hat flopping on their head. The bundle scuffled slightly, and their eyes immediately met his. Stunned, the bundle gasped, tripped and fell.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!", the bundle cried, "I know I wasn't suppose to touch anything, but I couldn't help it"

"Never mind that", Sonic answered and help the bundle onto their own two feet, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine", the bundle removed the hat and out came a small violet hedgehog with emerald eyes, "Thanks, Mister"

"No problem", Sonic smiled, "So, are you lost or something?"

"Nah", Mei answered, "I'm not lost"

"Well, I wouldn't think that you'd work here", Sonic laughed. Mei laughed fondly.

"Don't be silly! _I _don't work here! But my mommy does", she answered.

"Really?", he asked politely, "Shouldn't she be here looking after you?"

"Yeah… but my mommy really needs money. I heard her complain about it last night on the phone, 'cause she said something about how she couldn't pay this rent thingy. So I don't really mind waiting on her when she's working", she said in a light-heartened tone. Mei suddenly narrowed her eyes on Sonic, "What are _you_ doing in here?"

"Me?", Sonic asked, taken aback slightly, "Oh, I'm just waiting on a friend"

"Who?"

"Well… do you know anyone called Lindsay here?"

Mei perked up suddenly, her piercing eyes sparkling.

"'Course I do!", she exclaimed happily, "She's my mom!"

Sonic was completely shocked. He really didn't expect this to happen at all! Lindsay actually had a child? Talk about being such a hypocrite! It wasn't possible. No, it couldn't be. Sonic paused dramatically and then glanced back at Mei. She stared innocently back with her huge green eyes. Green. Emerald green. Just the same shade of green as his eyes. Her smile, innocent and polite, just like Lindsay's smile. She also had Lindsay's slightly pointed chin, but she had an enthusiastic attitude, eager and positive… just like he did. Was it possible that this little girl who carried eight pints of blood in her body could possibly be related to himself…?

"Are you okay?", she asked nervously, bursting Sonic's line of thought. Sonic jumped slightly and smiled.

"Sure", he breathed out, "What's your name, by the way?"

* * *

"Lisa", Rouge called from one of the tables, "_Lisa_!"

Lisa jumped slightly and focussed on Rouge.

"Yeah?", she asked.

"Can you check on Mei? I'm a bit busy just now", she shouted over the music, piling glasses onto her tray to prove her point. Lisa shrugged and sloped off to the staffroom. Life was tough for her. When she had immigrated to the country, she and her father dreamed of owning their own culinary business. However, they had not expected to receive such a cold welcome to the 'land of hope'. They lived in poverty, therefore branded as the disadvantaged in the society, barely earning enough to feed themselves. Hence, she dropped out of school to work in a club as she did at that time. She felt cheap and sleazy, but, Hell, the money was good.

Lisa slumped into the staffroom exhaustingly, and very nearly cried out when she saw a male hedgehog and Mei sitting on the floor, happily chatting whilst playing a game of cards. It seemed innocent enough, but Lisa felt uncertain nonetheless.

"What are you doing in here?", she demanded in her heavy foreign accent. Sonic smiled at her innocently.

"Sorry!", he exclaimed, "I know I shouldn't be in here, but I was just waiting on a friend and-"

"Very unlikely!", Lisa cried as she recalled her unpleasant encounter with the blue hedgehog the night before. She dreaded what he would do. She had heard of stories about girls who were attacked and raped in unexpected places. She looked at Mei, "And get away from that girl! You're old enough to be her father!"

Sonic chuckled at this statement as he got up from the floor.

"Well, I-", he began before the door to the staffroom suddenly opened, and in came the security guard.

"Lisa, you okay, kid?", he asked, "I heard…", he noticed Sonic and immediately snapped, "**You**!", he roared, "Do you not understand English?"

"What do you mean?", Sonic asked innocently back.

"Do you speak English, motherfucker?", the security guard roared with frustration.

"Obviously"

"Then you knew what I meant when I said you couldn't come in here, right?"

"Your point being…?"

The security guard had had enough. He grabbed Sonic by his right arm and hauled him out of the room. He dragged the blue hedgehog across main area of the club, many people staring at them as they went by. Sonic allowed him to take control at first, but soon grew frustrated. He wriggled relentlessly.

"Hey, hey!", he remarked, "Watch the jacket, for Fuck's sake!"

"Who do you think you is", the security guard asked sarcastically, "Fonzie?"

"Oh, smart guy, eh?", Sonic answered back and stood defensively.

"That's _it_ motherfucker-", the guard began but was suddenly cut off.

"Lawrence", a voice piped up, "What's going on?"

Shadow marched towards the duo, his faced creased with confusion and disbelief. He stopped on his tracks and his face creased even more with disgust when he saw Sonic, "God, I might have known…," he began.

"Hey, Shadow, how's it going?", Sonic asked politely. Suddenly, Lindsay appeared out nowhere, curious by the action, and very nearly had a heart attack when she saw Sonic.

"Jesus _Christ_", she remarked angrily but fearfully at the same time. Shadow noticed this and turned back to Sonic.

"What do you want, Faker?", he asked suspiciously.

"Just a word with Lindsay", he answered simply. Shadow's brow creased slightly. Lindsay badly wanted to run but it felt as though her feet were firmly planted to the floorboards.

"Who?", Shadow asked. Lindsay could feel the blood draining from her face. She knew exactly where this was going.

"Lindsay", Sonic nodded towards her, "Her"

"Her name is _not_ Lindsay", Shadow answered defensively, "So leave her alone. I've also been told that you've been caught in the staffroom. Well, aren't we the curious type? You just couldn't help yourself, could you? Well, peep show's over, Faker. Go home"

"But, Shadow, aren't you curious about what's going on with your dancer, Lindsay, here?", he asked dangerously.

"Shut the fuck _up_!", Lindsay hissed. Sonic pretended not to notice.

"Sorry, or is her name _Celie_?", he continued, folding his arms triumphantly. After all, why couldn't he ruin her life when she destroyed his own?

"Damn it, fuck off!", Lindsay roared, feeling everybody staring at her.

"Just what is this about?", Shadow questioned. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"This girl is the _faker _around here", Sonic explained, "Not only has she got her daughter hidden in the staffroom, but she's also lying about her identity, too"

"… _What_?", Shadow demanded.

"Oh, and by the way, do you know she's only 17?", Sonic persisted, deliberately ignoring Lindsay's cries of dismay and anger. Shadow slowly turned around to look at the sobbing female.

"I had my doubts, but…", he muttered and shook his head, "However, Sonic, I know that you've been causing trouble here, tonight, so get out of my sight before I give _you _something to cry about"

Sonic raised his arms slightly in mock-defence.

"Hey, no problem there", he concluded. He paused at Lindsay and softly said, "Linds, liars always get caught in the act, am I right?"

"You sneaky, son of a-", she hissed.

"You heard the man", the security guard announced fiercely and began to drag Sonic to the main entrance, "Get your blue ass out of here, Fonzie"

Lindsay glared at the two men who gradually made their way towards the exit. Once Sonic was out of sight, she slowly gathered herself together, readying herself to serve more drinks until Shadow suddenly looked at her.

"Just a minute…", he struggled to decide which name to use for her and eventually decided with, "… you"

Lindsay swallowed fearfully. She cleared her throat.

"Yes?", she whispered in a tiny voice, hating the way his red eyes intimidated her.

"When you agreed to work here", he explained, "You told me that you were 18 years old, and as much as I hate to admit it, Sonic isn't a compulsive liar at the worst of times"

"But he-", she began.

"Now, I made it painfully clear that should you ever lie about your age, I am inclined to take actions further. You know as well as I do that we can't have children working here-"

"I am very nearly eighteen!", she argued. Shadow glared back at her.

"By law you are still classified as a child, and I can't have scandal here", he continued, "And, what exactly is this about a child in the staffroom?"

"I can explain, I-"

"It's true", Lisa piped in nearby, thinking that she was being helpful, "Her daughter is in here. That's where I caught that blue hedgehog in the first place"

Shadow stared coldly at Lisa for a couple of minutes, and then back at Lindsay. She was shaking with shock, knowing that it was all leading to trouble no matter how hard she would try to defend herself and Mei.

"Allow me to understand the situation", he questioned, "You mean to tell me there is an underage girl in the staffroom right now?"

There was a deafening pause. Lindsay eventually broke it.

"…Yes", she whispered. Shadow stood on the spot, head down as he pondered on how to handle the situation. Lindsay hugged herself, praying for a miracle.

The miracle didn't appear for her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to let you go", he concluded, "I can't have any trouble here. You knew the rules, I warned you of the consequences… but you deliberately disobeyed them. You made idiots out of all of us…", he paused, "Please hand in any possessions you have that belong to the club, and I'll have to confiscate any earnings you received tonight"

"Be reasonable, Shadow!", she complained, "You have no idea how much I need this money!"

"Be that as it may, you've violated the regulations in your contract", Shadow argued, "I have no choice but to take action… I'm sorry"

* * *

It was humiliating to have every staff member watch her from afar as Lindsay slowly handed over her earnings, put on her coat, and silently leave the building with her four-year-old daughter in her hands. Lindsay fought back tears as she passed the staring eyes, the shared whispers of how much citizens have degraded themselves nowadays and how the mothers should be to blame… and Lindsay suddenly remembered how lost and lonely _she _was without her mother. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Not only was she haunted and terrorised by Sonic, but she still didn't have enough to pay off her debts to Frank. It was Thursday evening; it seemed impossible to earn another $30 within a short period of time. Then again, it was only $30, surely Frank will be sympathetic at least and accept the amount she already had…?

She slowly reached the exit. Rouge watched, tears in her eyes. As Lindsay put her free hand on the door, Rouge whispered, "Lindsay, if only you'd told us…"

It was too much for her. She rapidly left the club, heaving her work bag and her daughter in her arms and stumbled to a taxi. It was time for her to return to the Hell she called home, afraid to face the one person who promised to evict her.

* * *

He watched from afar. The taxi slowly left the street and drove off into the busy road. He decided to keep a safe distance, as not to be caught.

He ran.

Ran through unknown streets, avoiding traffic, dodging people, taking shortcuts through small alleyways, curious of where his speed would take him… until he came to a halt. As did the taxi. He watched with curiosity as the young woman and her child climbed out of the vehicle and headed towards the poorly kept apartments across the street. One sniffed at the sight of the conditions in which the young woman and the child lived in. Surely they deserved a better lifestyle…?

She suddenly looked in his direction with fear and confusion. He ducked ridiculously, but then dared to peek back at her. She was gone, through the vandalised doors and up the filthy set of stairs.

His conscience warned him to stop. Yet, the mystery behind all of this was beginning to unravel. A daughter! A daughter who was beautiful and innocent and easy to love. Yet, he was not allowed to see her, he could tell. He wanted to offer her more in her life.

He planned to. He reached for his cell phone and punched a few keys.

There was an answer.

"Stanford, here", the voice replied.

"Stanford, it's me. I need you to do an errand for me"

"At this time of night? With all due respect, Sire, shouldn't this wait until morning?"

"No, it can't. Listen, I need you to get a hold of a vehicle. Preferably one that looks like a taxi, and then I need you to drive to…", he paused and peered at the street sign nearby, "… North Wynde Street. You'll see a young woman and a small child standing about"

"How are we to know that they'll be there?"

"They will be, trust me"

"Do you require any more troops or anything?"

"No, just you. Make sure your vehicle is available for them only. Be there in about an hour's time"

"Yes, Sire"

* * *

A knock at the door. Lindsay had only just returned home within the hour, and she wasn't in the mood to socialise with anybody. Heaving herself off of the sofa and slouched to the front door. To her surprise, and horror, Lindsay found that it was Frank at the door, looking furious.

"Oh… Frank", she said whilst rubbing her forehead, "What's up?"

"Your rent", he simply stated, "Where is it?"

"Ah", she answered and attempted to look sympathetic, "Frank, I'm really sorry. I only have around $260, and I was wondering if that would be adequate for just now…?"

Frank's face darkened. She knew this was only leading to trouble.

"I've lost patience with you, Miss Taylor", he thundered, "I gave you one last chance and you failed to meet your deadline! I knew right from the start that you were trouble and tonight you have proven my point. I've also had complaints about somebody screaming during the night-"

Lindsay blushed furiously as she recalled her dream from the previous night.

"- and not to mention having friends around here at all hours with your drinking and your laughing. It's disgusting, disgraceful actually! It's not appropriate for a girl your age to be living such a lifestyle"

"Ex_cuse_ me?", Lindsay cried, "Who are you to judge the lifestyle I lead?"

"Well, from the years I have known you and your daughter I can easily conclude that you and your daughter are rather highly-opinionated, arrogant people. I know about you vandalising the walls downstairs"

"Well, _you_ aren't exactly a picnic in the park either", Lindsay argued back bravely but unwisely, "And what do you mean about the graffiti downstairs? I had absolutely nothing to do with that!"

"And _you_ are proving my point again!", Frank declared. He folded his arms, "Not only are you so rude and aggressive, but you're also a compulsive liar! I was informed by somebody that they saw you vandalising the walls. This is completely unacceptable! Criminals - that's what you and your daughter are! No, I've decided - I want you out of here within the next hour. No exceptions"

"And where exactly am I suppose to go?", Lindsay asked ironically.

"Miss Taylor, what you do with your life after you leave here is your own business", Frank paused and saw Mei hovering in the background, "But just now: be a good mother and do what's best for your child"

With one fierce glance, Frank left the doorway and downstairs, leaving Lindsay shaking with fear.

* * *

Sonic watched as she closed the door slowly and faced her daughter, her facial expression solemn and filled with dread. The cold wind around him sliced his skin in a merciless manner, as though it were attempting to punish him for what he had done. He smirked. True, one small, white lie had gotten Lindsay into trouble, but he knew that the obvious vandalism on the ground floor in the building would convince the landlord to take action if they found out who had done it. Besides, he was paying Lindsay back for lying to him for four years, for not telling him about Mei. Part one of his plan had worked successfully. Now all he had to do was wait for Stanford to play his part and observe with interest…

* * *

"Meg here", the voicemail announced, "I'm not available just now, so leave a message"

Lindsay cursed. She had tried to contact Meg for the past twenty minutes without success. Now that she was standing outside the apartments with a couple of suitcases and Mei beside her, she was desperate to get to a place that was safe and warm. Dixie, Seth and Chris were at a concert so she was unable to contact them, and it was obvious that both Meg and Stan were on a mission if they weren't answering their phones.

"Hi, Meg, it's me again", she announced, "Listen, something's happened. When you get this message can you come and collect me from my apartment? Thanks"

"I'm hungry", Mei announced.

"Ssh", Lindsay hushed her, "I know, honey, but we have to wait here for just now so that Meg can pick us up"

"I like Auntie Meg; she's awesome", Mei exclaimed, "But why did we have to leave home?"

"It's… it's just that…", Lindsay struggled, "… Frank was really mean. That's what life's like, Mei. The world is full of cruel people, so don't let anybody push you about, you got that?"

"I never liked him anyway", Mei declared, "But I'm _cold_!"

"Uh-huh", Lindsay replied, "Just cuddle up in your jacket and…", and she stopped talking when she saw a taxi cab at the end of the street. It was a possibility. Even if she couldn't reach Meg on her phone, she could easily get a taxi to her place. Meg had a spare key underneath a flower pot near the front door. The streetlight reflected the windows of the cab, the flashes of lights on the vehicle winking at Lindsay, promising warmth and opportunities.

She couldn't resist.

"Mei, come on. Get up", she announced and picked up several suitcases and the two hedgehogs made their way towards the taxi. As they climbed in, Lindsay noticed that the taxi driver didn't look at them at all, but that was the least of her concerns.

"Mathieson Road, please", she asked and sat back.

And that's when the realisation hit her.

Her eyes met the eyes of the taxi driver in the rear-view mirror. She had seen him before, she definitely knew that.

"Who are you?", she enquired. The taxi driver shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry that I'm doing this", he sighed, and suddenly gas hissed at both sides of the taxi. The taxi driver rapidly closed the small window behind him, so that he would not inhale the substance. Mei coughed endlessly, retching at the taste of the substance in her mouth. The world began to spin in front of her very own eyes.

"Mommy?", she remarked in a weary voice, "I don't feel well…"

"Mei… Mei… S'okay…", Lindsay wheezed as she saw the entire world spin in front of _her_ own eyes. She couldn't tell _what _was hissing into the air in the back of the taxi, only that it was dangerous and powerful enough to sedate the mother and child.

Then they collapsed.

Darkness.

* * *

Tikal sighed. She had been working at the Palace for at least a year now, and ever since her passion and commitment to her job had vanished. She didn't mind the pay or her colleagues; she was just dying for a bit of excitement compared to the repetitive chores and work she did every single day.

She looked up. There was her boss who she secretly feared standing near her, watching the rain pelting against the large window panes, lost in his thoughts. Tikal glanced at the floor she had just cleansed and stood up from her position, knowing her shift had ended. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Sir?", she whispered. Sonic jumped slightly and blinked at her.

"Yes?", he asked.

"I've finished polishing the floor. May I go?"

"Sure, that's… sure… on you go"

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well… nothing", Tikal concluded, "Nothing"

Tikal scuttled out of the large hallway, despairing over how she would be able to cope the merciless weather on the way home… until she saw a light in the distance in the front garden. Two small circular lights. Coming closer.

Tikal shook her head when she learned that it was a car, and turned towards the nearest staffroom when she heard Sonic calling her suddenly within the previous room.

"Tikal! Tikal, get in here! I need your help", he yelled. Tikal sped through the large doors into the main hallway, and found the main front doors opened wide, allowing the blustering winds and the torturous winds to break loose into the room. Outside, she could see a familiar National Guard getting out of a vehicle and speaking to Sonic through the rain, and then both men opened the back doors of the vehicle. Tikal followed them, curious.

"What's going on?", she yelled through the wind. Sonic knelt into the car and carried out a small bundle in his arms.

"Tikal", he called, "Here, take her to a guest bedroom just now and stay with her until further notice"

"But-but", Tikal stuttered. She took the bundle reluctantly and peered at the small infant's face in her arms. She stared at the tiny hedgehog, bewildered. Tikal then peered with shock as the National Guard pulled another body out of the car, and hung the limp body over her shoulder.

"Here", Sonic announced, "Give her to me"

The body was exchanged between the two men.

"Sir", Tikal dared ask, "Who are they?"

Sonic paused. He then managed to look Tikal straight in the eyes whilst balancing body over his right shoulder.

"This is my family", he declared and then went straight into the building without a second glance. Tikal stood in the rain for a few moments, stunned, before she joined him, taking the small, frozen body into a guest room.

Wondering what to do next.


	5. Negotiations

"So", Espio stated, "Run that by me one more time"

Stan sighed irritably. The mission that night was not going according to plan. There was rumours going about that a glue factory was being constructed, and Meg and Stan's group had eagerly joined together in order to shut it down. However, the plans did not run smooth as two members were off ill and instead Stan was lumbered with inexperienced trainees; Espio and Vector. In his opinion, they were complete idiots; failing to carry out simple tasks and unable to understand even the most simplest order given.

"Fuck sake, Espio", Stan snapped, "How hard can this be? All you're doin' is going into the building to disconnect the security cameras! Even my Grandmother could do that and she's fuckin' dead!"

"Sorry! Sorry, I just haven't done this before", Espio protested.

"You don't say!", Stan remarked ironically. He turned round to Meg, who was sitting in the driver's seat, in despair, "Meg, why the fuck are they even here?… Meg?"

"Mm", Meg answered, "Hold on. I'm listening to my voicemail"

She listened carefully to the voicemails from Lindsay, and pondered carefully. Lindsay knew very well that they were on a mission that night, and she knew only to contact them if there was a dire emergency. Perhaps this _was_ an actual emergency, however Meg couldn't just leave Stan and the new recruits… could she?

"Stan", she suddenly announced whilst starting the engine, "Something's come up. I'm gonna have to leave you guys for a while. If anything happens I've got my cell phone on me, or run like hell"

"_What_?", Stan hissed angrily, "You mean to tell me that I'm stuck with these morons?"

"Linds needs my help. She's left some voicemails and they seem pretty serious"

"Can't it wait?", Stan asked desperately.

"Stan, she left me about 5 voicemails, I need to see if she's okay", Meg put her seatbelt on, "So get out of the car"

"Wait, Meg!", Vector called whilst he climbed out, "What do you do if there are security guards inside?"

Stan cursed under his breath and ushered the crocodile out of the vehicle and climbed out himself. Meg raised her eyelids despairingly and drove off.

* * *

"Hey, hey!", Lindsay called out as the large doors opened in the study, "Who's there?"

A maid slowly walked in balancing a tray of food in her hands. She was under strict instructions _not_ to talk to the female hedgehog whilst delivering her breakfast. This task was difficult as Lindsay marched over to the maid, demanding to know facts about her whereabouts. She had awoken from a blurred sleep and had spent roughly an hour figuring out what was going on without much success. Lindsay needed answers. Now.

"Hey, listen. Hey!", Lindsay called as she scuttled towards the startled maid, "Why am I here? What's going on? Where is my daughter?"

The maid remained silent, but found it difficult to steer clear from Lindsay. She silently placed the tray of food on the large desk, avoiding eye contact.

"Tell me! What have you done with her?", Lindsay practically screamed and grasping the maid's shoulders. The maid cried out.

"I don't know anything!", she squealed, "I'm not even suppose to speak to you!"

"You _know_ something", Lindsay remarked, "Where. Is. My. Daughter?"

"Sorry, I have to go!", the maid answered and scrambled out of the study, leaving a silence in the room. Lindsay lost her temper and punched the nearest wall viciously, slumping against it exhaustedly. She knew perfectly well where she was. The horrid memories came flooding back as she familiarised herself with the grand furniture and the pleasant fragrance that each room had. Yet, the idyllic atmosphere scared her for there was a dangerous edge to it, as though one mistake would allow Hell to break loose if she wasn't careful. Also, the fact that Lindsay had no idea where Mei was terrified her imagination. What was she to do?

Lindsay suddenly ran to the large doors, and cried out loud as she collided into a National Guard in the hallway.

"You okay, Ma'am?", he asked.

"Damn it!", she shouted, "Get out of my way!"

The National Guard stood in her way, refusing to let her pass.

"Sorry, ma'am", he apologised, "I can't let you go. You've to stay in the study"

"I need to see my daughter", Lindsay argued.

"She's safe. Trust me", he answered straight away.

"How am I to know?"

"We've got guards all over the place. Besides, she has a maid to attend to her. I wouldn't worry about her"

"I… I feel unwell", she lied, wondering if that would influence him.

"No problem, ma'am, I'll call for a maid to see to you"

"I need to use the bathroom", she protested desperately.

"There's a bathroom in the study"

"Well… well… I need to see Sonic"

"He'll attend to you shortly, he's tied up just now with business. Just stay in the study"

"And if I refuse?"

The National Guard sighed and looked around to make sure nobody was nearby.

"Look", he explained, "I can tell that you're desperate to get out of here-"

"So let me go"

"Thing is… I can't", he explained, "An order is an order. If I refuse to carry out an order, my job will be at risk. Plus, you know what he's like when things don't go his way"

"Don't remind me", Lindsay muttered, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry you're in this predicament, but there isn't anything I can do about it. You know I'm always around if you need help… to an extent"

"So… you're not going to help me just now?"

"I'm sorry"

"Well… thanks. For being honest, I mean"

"No problem", and the National Guard returned to his post. Lindsay closed the doors in front of her and sat on a chair in the study. Okay, so she had no power, no dominance in this hellhole and she was trapped as a result. Her daughter was somewhere else. Her captor was also somewhere else, threatening her freedom and sanity. She received no help from the guards or the maids. God, what a horrible situation. Where could she possibly get help now?

Lindsay felt something bulging in her trouser pocket. Her cell phone! Perfect: She could contact Meg and beg her to help. Meg would understand. Meg would come to the rescue regardless.

She peered around the room anxiously, and rapidly dialled Meg's number on her cell phone. Lindsay listened through the ear piece.

_Ring, ring. Ring, ring_.

"Come on, come on", she muttered, "Pick up the fucking phone, Meg"

"Hello? Hello?", the voice said on the other end, "Linds, is that you?"

Lindsay was weak with relief.

"Meg!", she cried, "Thank God!", she lowered her voice, "Where are you?"

"I could ask you the same question! I only just got your voicemails and I'm waiting outside your apartment. I phoned your number but there was no answer", Meg explained, "What's going on?"

"Listen", Lindsay whispered frantically, "Oh God, it's awful, Meg! Me and Mei were evicted so we went to take a taxi to drive over to your place but when we got in the vehicle gas was released in the taxi and me and Mei were suddenly sedated and-"

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down, Linds! Now, where exactly are you just now?"

"You won't believe me"

"Try me"

"I'm back in the Palace. Do you remember it, Meg?"

"Wait", Meg paused, "Do you mean…?"

"Exactly", Lindsay whispered back, "Sonic's back"

"Christ! I thought he was de-"

"I thought so, too. He's practically fucking immune to death", Lindsay began to cry, "Oh, God. Meg, I'm scared. He has Mei somewhere in here, but I have no idea where she is and I'm terrified of what he might be doing to her. I'm stuck in some fucking room and I'm not allowed to go anywhere and I know that at any moment he might… he might…"

"Right, okay", Meg stated firmly, "It's okay, Linds. I'm coming. Just stay safe and stay out of trouble at all costs. Don't try to provoke him. Where abouts are you?"

"In some study. I think it's near the main staircase. Please, _please_ hurry!"

"I promise you, Linds, I'm coming", Meg reassured her, "Just try to relax and do _not_ panic, okay?"

"Oh, Meg", Lindsay sniffled, "I'm so-"

Before she could finish her sentence her arm was viciously punched and her phone flew to the ground. Lindsay clutched her arm and spun around to find Sonic staring straight back at her. He glanced at the phone and immediately stamped on it, crushing the phone as a result. The current phone call died, breaking all communication with Meg.

* * *

"Linds?", Meg cried through her earpiece whilst driving, "Lindsay, where are you?"

There was nothing but silence.

Lethal.

* * *

"Why the fuck did you do that?", Lindsay cried angrily. Sonic continued to stare at her in an intimidating fashion, hoping to scare her. It infuriated her instead.

"Damn it!", she shouted, "Why the _fuck_ am I here?"

Sonic shook his head slightly, a bemused expression on his face.

"What?", she dared ask.

"It's a girl", he remarked, chuckling. She knew what he meant but she feigned ignorance.

"I have no idea what you mean", she stated, folding her arms.

"'Course you do", he answered back, "Did you think that I wouldn't notice? Did you think you could hide your secret forever?"

"Shut up", she remarked stupidly, "You're just a figment of my imagination. I can't hear or see you"

"Did you think you could simply move on from the past? Did you think, after all the pain and suffering I have been through, that you could just easily walk out of my life?"

"Shut up. Shut _up_!", she hissed.

"Did you think", he asked once more, "That _I_ would easily escape _your_ life?"

"…No", Lindsay muttered.

"Really?", he asked sarcastically, "Well, I didn't fucking think so, either"

"Where's Mei?", she asked in a whisper.

"She's fine", Sonic answered flatly, "So, you thought that you would keep Mei a secret", he chuckled, "So there was a reason why you didn't want to see me again. You thought that if I found out about Mei, I would over-react and step back into your lives. You knew that I would deliberately interfere if that was the case… am I right?"

"… Yes", she whispered.

"Well, you were right there", he answered, "And now you can't stop me"

"What do you mean?", she asked weakly.

"Come on, Linds! As if it isn't obvious! You're broke, homeless and in need of help. And look at what I've got. I have everything you need to get on in life"

"The reason", Lindsay spat, "Why I'm broke and homeless is because you stupidly revealed my age to Shadow, and-and other circumstances…"

"The vandalised walls?", Sonic asked with a smirk.

"How did you know…?", she asked in disbelief.

"I guess I should confess", he revealed, "It was me who told your landlord about it"

"You _what_?", she screamed, "But… but why did you lie about something I didn't do? What drove you to do such a thing?"

"Aw, come _on_, Linds!", he argued, "As if it would have made a difference! You were going to be evicted anyway"

"But, but _how_ did you-"

"Let's just say, a little bird told me-"

"Mei…"

"And let me tell you, she's such a lovely and reliable source", Sonic paused delicately whilst Lindsay shook her head madly over the idea, "Linds, Mei is a little girl. I feel she deserves better in life"

"She was just fine until _you _interfered in her life", Lindsay argued back.

"I'm her _father_", he stated, "I have every right to be in her life as much as you do. And I can offer her a better lifestyle than you ever could"

"I don't give a fuck", she spat back, "Where is she?"

"None of your business", Sonic spat back, "If allowing you to leave with our daughter mean that Mei would be living a working-class lifestyle, I wouldn't hear of it. No, both of you are staying here"

"Like Hell I will!"

"When will you learn to hold your tongue? Don't you realise it only leads to more trouble?"

"Times are changing, you fuckwit!"

"Tut tut. Language", he scolded, "Anyway, even if you _did _escape from here with Mei, where would you go?"

"I have friends who will take me in"

"And if they don't?"

"They _will_"

"Look, Linds", Sonic scanned his eyesight across the room surrounding them and gestured with his hands to emphasise the décor in the room, "This is reality. You are being offered a grand lifestyle before you, and you are stupid enough to reject it. You know how much debt you are in - _I _know how much debt you are in. If you stay here with me, you'll never have to worry about money again"

Lindsay remained cold and aloof, but she could feel herself weakening at the idea. Sonic could sense it.

"Also, think of Mei", he persisted, "Was there ever a moment in your life when you wished you could do more for her, knowing that you couldn't? You work so hard for a living, and yet you're missing out in Mei's upbringing-"

"How dare you!", she yelled, "I've done my best!"

"Yet you still failed", he stated firmly, "Mei wishes that you could be in her life a lot more, she even told me that herself. Mei seems comfortable here and I think she'd be even happier if we begin acting like a real family"

"If you _think_ that we will begin acting like a family you are sadly fucking mistaken!"

"I'm not proposing that we should _like_ each other Linds, my mom and dad hated each other with a passion but stayed together for the sake of me and my siblings. Imagine what Mei would think if her parents refused to acknowledge each others' existence. No, it would only cause problems. Besides, you're a natural when it comes to acting"

Lindsay smirked at this remark. "As are you", she commented.

There was an awkward silence. Lindsay shifted her weight from one leg to the other, pondering.

"So", she began, "If I choose to stay here, would there be any funny business?"

"Meaning?"

Lindsay sighed impatiently. Clearly Sonic was completely unaware of his infamous mood swings.

"I must be out of my fucking mind", she muttered, "The world has gone mad!"

"And what, precisely, do you mean by that?"

"I'm not staying here", she declared, "If staying here means putting up with you and your unpredictable nature, I'd much rather spend my lifetime in poverty than this stupid lifestyle!"

"Are you suggesting that I treat you badly?", he asked, frowning.

"Is that a riddle?", she remarked rudely. Sonic stared into space slightly until he shook his head with confusion.

"Name one time that I've hurt you", he stated. It seemed unbelievable to Lindsay that she had heard these words being uttered. She wanted to scream the entire building down!

"I won't go into details", she muttered, "But you'll never understand the physical pain that I've been through… ever"

"If that's the case", Sonic replied, "You'll never understand the pain _I've_ been through. You _destroyed me_. However, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones, wouldn't you agree?"

"You're just trying to influence my mind", she whispered, "You're trying to indoctrinate me so that I would feel pity for you, so that I would give in"

"Preposterous", he sneered.

"It's true!", she cried, "You're brainwashing me!"

"And _now _you're jumping to ludicrous conclusions", Sonic answered and slowly made his way towards the shaking hedgehog, "I would never hurt my family. When you were here with me, did I ever hit you?"

Lindsay's heart sank slightly as she approached backwards, her back touching the wall.

"…No", she admitted.

"And why", he continued as he gently tidied a few of Lindsay's quills behind her shoulder, revealing the fear within her eyes, "would I want to hit you? You always come first to me, you know that. How would you be able to prove that I've ever hurt you if that was the case? Nobody would believe you"

_He's lying_, Lindsay thought and shivered as she sensed him nudging closer to her, stroking her quills gently, his other hand enclosing hers.

"You're my… special girl", he whispered and gently nipped her ear with his teeth, "Always will be…"

A ringing sound filled the room, startling them both. Sonic pulled away and answered the ringing cell phone in his pocket whilst Lindsay silently counted her blessings. He spoke for a few minutes.

"Yeah", he answered, "Yes. No… I'll be right there", he closed his cell phone and headed towards the doorway. Lindsay stared after him in disbelief, wondering how she had managed to survive such an intimidating moment. She slowly slid to the floor, shaking. He paused and looked over at her.

"I have to see somebody just now, so we'll continue this small reunion later", Sonic remarked. Lindsay felt faint at the idea.

"Help me, God", she whispered, closing her eyes in a desperate manner.

"You look a bit shaken", he commented with a smirk, "Why don't you drink some of your orange juice? You might feel better. Oh, and, uh, don't even think about messing around because as far as I'm concerned you will never leave this place… not when I'm around… understand?"

"Go to Hell!", she spat. Sonic smiled at her nonetheless.

"It's lovely to see that you've never changed, Linds", he chuckled and left the room. After a few minutes Lindsay began to rock backwards and forwards in a rhythmic fashion, the gentle swaying movement calming her nerves. She was officially trapped, and nothing could reassure her. To her surprise, a different maid suddenly appeared in the room and began to dust odd areas on the numerous bookcases. She jumped when she saw the small heap in the corner.

"Dear Heavens, child! Are you alright?", she asked in a concerned manner. Lindsay immediately clung to her as though the maid was a helpful mother, almost like a saviour. She began to cry.

"Please, please help me", she whimpered, refusing to loosen her grip on the maid. The poor maid was taken aback and struggled off of the young hedgehog. Her peered around desperately and happily grabbed the glass of orange juice on the breakfast tray.

"Here", she coaxed Lindsay, "Have a drink, sweetheart. You're dehydrated, that's why you're upset"

"You don't understand", Lindsay whined, "I'm trapped in this hellhole and I _need _to get out of here! I need to find my daughter!", she paused, "You're a maid - where is she? You would know"

"I know nothing, dear", the maid answered gently, "Here, have a small sip"

"I don't _want _your fucking orange juice!", Lindsay howled, "I want my daughter!"

"It'll help you relax", the maid coaxed nudging the glass closer to Lindsay's lips, "You need a bit of sugar to calm your nerves. I'll be truthful; I don't know anything about your daughter. But if I see her, I'll bring her to you - I promise"

"Will you?", Lindsay asked, her lips bumping on the edge of the glass of orange juice.

"Of course", the maid smiled, "After all, you tell me how to do _my _job around here. It's my duty to work for you. You can trust me"

Lindsay hesitated and reluctantly sipped the juice in the glass. The orange juice was surprisingly refreshing and she began to drink it eagerly, only realising how dehydrated she actually was. The maid smiled and stood up.

"See?", she said, "I told you the juice is lovely. Now, I really must return to my chores. Let me know if you need anything", she bowed at Lindsay and left the room with her duster. Lindsay drained the last of her orange juice, curious over why the maid was desperate for her to drink the substance. It _did_ calm her down, however Lindsay couldn't help but sense a chalky flavour in her mouth once she had finished the drink.

What was the strange aftertaste?

* * *

"Sorry I'm late", Sonic announced whilst rushing into the conference room, "I had business to attend to"

"Honestly", the Foreign Governor commented, "It's quite simple: You simply arrive in time before your guests die of old age"

Sonic frowned slightly. He loathed meetings and conferences with the Governor ever since he could remember but he knew he couldn't say a word for he relied on the Governor's forces in order to keep _his_ armed forces strong within the area regarding machinery, weapons, and troops. One word and he could lose his strength in the Armed Forces, not to mention the growing tension in the Middle West due to an uproar in politics - he was in desperate need to defend his country. The male rabbit frowned back at him, obviously not content of returning to re-claim his half of the agreement. He sighed and put his iPhone away.

"Now", he began, "We have been very patient, Sir, but we grow weary of waiting for your side of the bargain"

"I know but-"

"Surely you understand that should you fail to reach the required conditions you will be denied any support from our forces?"

"I understand, but I have been very busy recently that I haven't had time to consider our deal and-"

"Allow me to understand this", the Governor pondered, "Do you mean that you have been too busy focussing on your social life rather than the thousands of lives that rely on you to provide them safety?"

Sonic sighed. It was time to reveal the truth.

"I don't have the money that was agreed to be exchanged", he admitted, running his fingers through his quills. The Governor frowned.

"I beg your pardon?", the Governor asked.

"Obviously due to the Economic crisis we are low on funds-"

"Isn't that what taxes are for?", the Governor enquired. Sonic breathed out through his nose sharply, obviously infuriated.

"Well, we're not the richest country, please bear _that_ in mind", he answered fiercely.

"Uh-huh", the Governor commented and sat down in his chair, "And we also requested that you would provide our forces with soldiers, possibly from your _own _family, however we have not seen let alone heard of any progress on _that_"

Sonic sat down on his chair, knowing he was failing to come to terms with the male rabbit.

"The only way we could sort this out is by giving myself more time", Sonic sighed.

"We've given you more than four years", the Governor answered, "That's quite efficient and extreme in our point of view"

"And what would be the consequences?"

"Simple. We cut off our support and deny you any privileges therefore your country is left defenceless and vulnerable to any attacking enemies. It's your choice, Sir, but we _have _given you enough time as it is, but if your willing to cancel our wager…"

Sonic rubbed his eyes fiercely. This was not suppose to happen; he intended to have enough money and contributing troops but the Depression had completely broken them and as for troops - well, not many young men were volunteering. Yet, he was desperate for support, he knew the possible dangers should he not agree to the conditions. It was a difficult period of time for everybody. Should he consider abdicating the throne…?

He paused as he saw Mei outside in the gardens playing a game with Tikal. Mei laughed at a remark Tikal had made and then grew conscious of Sonic observing her through the large windows. She smiled and waved happily.

A sudden idea sprung in Sonic's mind.

An idea that was so shocking in today's society, he was unsure whether or not he had actually considered it.

Yet, despite how shocking it was, the idea seemed sufficient and an adequate alibi considering the circumstances. It could work. But would the Governor agree to such an idea…?

"Collins", Sonic announced suddenly, "You have a son, don't you?"

"Yes", the Governor replied.

"How old is he again? It's been ages since we last met"

"He's nine years old", the Governor replied and added curiously, "Why?"

"Consider this", Sonic got up from his chair and walked to the windows of the room, "Do you see that little girl there with the maid?"

"Yes", the Governor joined Sonic's side. Mei was busy skipping rope and chanting a song happily, innocent and full of joy. Tikal shook her head fondly at the violet hedgehog as she accompanied Mei by making small daisy chains.

"She's my daughter", Sonic announced.

"Really? I never knew you had a daughter!"

"I didn't know until recently. Anyway, I was thinking… your son… my daughter…?"

The Governor's eyes widened, the idea coming to his mind.

"Ah", he answered, "I see what you're getting at"

"Is it possible if we…?", Sonic suggested.

There was a brief silence. Sonic prayed for his plan to go through.

"Despite the debt you owe us, I can _possibly_ agree to this idea as this can join our two countries together and with that we would become a stronger force against all enemies… that is if you're willing to contribute fully this time?"

"I will, I can assure you", Sonic answered firmly.

"And _possibly_ troops in the future…?"

"That also will be taken care of"

"Good", The Governor smiled, "You have yourself a deal, Your Majesty"

The two men shook hands happily. Mei was completely unaware of what was being negotiated.


	6. Tears Of Blood

"Okay, Meg, you can do this", she told herself, "Just get in safely without being noticed, and get out"

Meg pondered. She had parked her car closely to the building, questioning herself on how to carry the task out without being caught, but failing surprisingly. Meg was aware of how heavily protected this place was, and since she had easily been discovered the last time, she was scared of being caught again. She peered through binoculars as she hid in the branches of a tree near her car, peering through the binoculars.

National guards at the front door. National guards at a near-by patio. Security cameras on the walls and windows. The guards were heavily armed. Meg sighed irritably; they knew how to make it impossible for her to enter. She peered around desperately, biting her lip anxiously. What was she going to _do_?

The sudden memory of the tunnel the group had escaped from the Palace years ago came flooding back to her. It was a possibility. The area wasn't properly secured and the tunnel _did_ lead into the main building, but there were many possible consequences. That was then and this was now. The security breech might have changed over the years, so Meg knew she couldn't become too reckless.

"How was I able to get _in _last time?", she asked herself madly. She remembered how she disguised herself as a maid, but now it was even more difficult as she did not have a costume on her, only the camouflaged outfit she was wearing.

And then something caught her attention. She noticed a National Guard making his way towards a deserted tree, placing his weapon against the tree and produced a packet of cigarettes, lighting a cigarette and began to inhale it casually.

Meg looked at the Guard.

Meg looked at the gun.

She quietly climbed down from the tree, knelt within the long grass within the area, and quickly yet silently ran towards the smoking Guard. He was oblivious to what was going on; he was simply content to spending time alone with his beloved cigarettes. The Guard very nearly had a heart attack when he felt somebody press certain areas of his neck from behind.

"Hey, what the fu-", he began but suddenly felt woozy and exhausted. How could it be possible to feel exhausted all of a sudden? His cigarettes didn't contain anything new or strange, so it couldn't have been that. The Guard staggered backwards and fell to the ground, the world around him darkening before his very eyes. Within minutes he was unconscious. Meg stared down at him. This would only buy her a couple of minutes so she had to use them wisely. Meg removed the Guard's main uniform and pulled them over her clothes and grabbed his gun. She looked at her weapon. An M4 Assault Rifle. She whistled appreciatively.

"This guy has taste!", she commented before focussing her attention on how to get into the building. She ran towards the entrance of the tunnel and straightened up. She marched in a sophisticated manner, playing her part in her disguise. To her horror she bumped into a guard within the tunnel. The other Guard looked at her.

"Hey, you seen Joey anywhere?", he asked curiously. Meg swallowed nervously. Who was Joey? Christ, was that the guy she managed to put into a coma?

"Nope", she answered back.

"Hmph", The Guard commented, "Strange - he was just here a few minutes ago"

"Ah, well", Meg answered back, "You know Joey; he's either working hard or hardly working"

"True, true", the Guard commented smirking. Then the obvious hit him, "How are _you_ a National Guard?"

"I'm new", she answered back, "I was recommended by my Commanding Officer at the camp where I was in training"

"Really? I didn't know they were employing women, now"

"Women are just as good as men! Besides, I'm surprised that you haven't heard of my reputation; I'm quite popular within the war zones"

"Ah", the Guard commented, "Cool"

There was a pause.

"Well, I got to go. I'm suppose to be supervising upstairs so I'll see you around later", Meg concluded and marched through the tunnels, familiarising herself with the endless hallways. It felt as though the tunnels were a maze as they confused her memory - Where did that tunnel lead to? Didn't she just go down that way? Was she lost…?

No, she wasn't. Meg noticed a small set of stairs at long last and curiously climbed them. At the top of the stairs there was a door. Meg hesitated, her rifle fully equipped, ready to shoot.

She held her breath.

She opened the door suddenly.

And then she opened her eyes cautiously… and breathed out. Meg was suddenly in one of the main hallways in the Palace. She stared at the grand décor and the grand furniture just in case it was an illusion. Meg fingered her rifle in case there was anybody in the hallway. Nothing dangerous; just a single maid quietly polishing a table surface. Meg regained her senses and marched towards the maid.

"You!", she ordered, "Where's the main study?"

The maid shot up looking fearful.

"What?", she asked, "Why? What's going on? Are we under attack?"

"No, we're not", Meg answered back, "I've been ordered to keep an eye on a young female hedgehog. She's a light pink colour with long quills. Have you seen her?"

"The study is down the hallway, on your first left and the third door on the right side of the hallway", the maid paused, "Isn't there a Guard already there?"

"It's his lunch break. I'm on duty now", Meg lied.

"Well… okay, then", the Maid decided and left Meg to find her own way to the study. Meg shrugged slightly and marched towards the room. Yet as she progressed towards the study, her marching movements slowly came to a halt. Meg cursed, questioning herself whether or not she was actually scared of being caught. However, she was aware of how dangerous and unpredictable Sonic could be at the worst of times, she was right to be cautious.

Meg reached the estimated doors, tightening her grip on the rifle, her grasp trembling slightly.

She opened one of the doors, holding her breath.

There was nobody in the room. Meg exhaled in an infuriated manner and cursed to herself viciously. She absolutely _hated_ it when things didn't go according to plan. Now that Lindsay had obviously left the study without any warning, Meg had no other choice but to find her captivated friend through a crazy gooseberry chase within the Palace.

Yet, she didn't give up hope. Meg rushed to the small cupboards and wardrobes in the study and opened them rapidly, just in case Lindsay was hiding in them. She was unlucky; all cupboards, wardrobes and possible hiding places remained empty.

"Where the _fuck_ has Lindsay got to?", Meg hissed angrily.

* * *

"I'm glad we've come to an agreement", Sonic exclaimed once more, whilst exiting the conference room with the Foreign Governor after briefly concluding their new deal.

"I agree. I believe this can bring benefits to both of our countries", the Foreign Governor smiled. Suddenly his iPhone began to ring in his pocket. The male rabbit glanced at his phone and grimaced.

"Pray do excuse me, I'm afraid I have to leave. I'm late for a meeting with my Commissioners", the Foreign Governor apologised. Sonic smiled.

"That's perfectly understandable. After all, I have a few issues to see to now", Sonic explained. And with that he glanced in the direction where the study was. The doors were slightly ajar. He frowned at this - where was the National Guard? And why were the doors open…?

"What date shall we confirm our deal, Sir?", the Foreign Governor suddenly asked. Sonic jumped slightly and smiled at him.

"Ah! That's for you to decide, just let me know what date suits you and I'll arrange everything", he explained and began to leave, "I hate to rush off, but I have some business to attend to"

"Indeed!", the Foreign Governor commented, "I will be in touch. However, in the meantime let us prepare for our success!"

Sonic smiled and rushed towards the study. It was clearly obvious that Lindsay had escaped. He sighed impatiently to himself; when was Lindsay ever going to give up? Surely she couldn't believe that she could escape once more? Sonic was too powerful now. After all, he had to reach the requirements of the deal he had recently made, and Lindsay and Mei were the prime resources…

He slowly craned his head around the opened doors, preparing himself for any sudden surprises. He saw a female hedgehog with brown quills in a National Guard uniform peering around areas of the room, muttering to herself about how ridiculous it was to rely on irresponsible people during missions. Sonic peered at her - where had he seen her before? She was definitely familiar…

The maid. The maid that had helped Lindsay take an overdose before their ceremony. The maid who was arrested immediately after his wife had collapsed onto the ground, dehydrated and unconscious.

The maid who questioned his power and helped to encourage his life to screech to a sudden halt.

Sonic smirked to himself. Revenge was sweet. It felt as though all his Christmases were coming at once.

* * *

"I swear to God, Lindsay had better be near by", Meg sighed and straightened up. She felt uneasy within the room, as though she was being watched at that very moment. Before she could turn around, somebody from behind wrenched her arms backwards and held her in an arm-lock. The M4 Assault Rifle dropped to the floor, out of her reach. Meg closed her eyes slowly, punishing herself for being caught. She immediately attempted to wriggle out of her captor's grip, but this only encouraged him to tighten his grip.

"Now, now. Let's not make this harder for ourselves", a familiar voice remarked.

"Sonic", Meg spat viciously.

"How _lovely _it is to see you again, Meg!", he exclaimed in a light-hearted tone, "What brings you to our happy home?"

"_Our_?", Meg repeated.

"Yes", Sonic answered back, "My lovely wife and my daughter are back home with me, and I couldn't be happier!"

Meg snorted rudely.

"Of course, there's always people like you who enjoy fucking up other peoples' lives", he remarked in a vicious tone, "When will you ever learn to stay out of affairs that don't concern you, Meg?"

"Where's Lindsay and Mei?", Meg interrogated angrily.

"Mei's fine… and as for Lindsay, I could have asked you the very same question"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Where. Is. She", Sonic repeated, "Where's Lindsay?"

"How the hell would _I_ know?", Meg hissed.

"Oh, but you _do _know, Meg. The sad fact is that you're simply not telling me. So I'll ask again: Where is Lindsay?"

"I don't _know_!", Meg screamed and attempted to kick Sonic, "What have _you_ done with her?"

"Temper temper", Sonic remarked, "I grow weary of your impertinence. So, where is she?"

"Let _go_ of me!", Meg roared whilst attempting to pull away from him. Sonic smirked.

"Very well, then", he answered and viciously pushed Meg forward. Stunned by the sudden action, Meg stumbled on her feet and fell forward, smacking her head on the corner of the table. Meg sniffed with pain as she felt blood trickle from a great gash at the side of her head. She glared up at Sonic furiously.

"Well, that was clumsy, wasn't it?", Sonic mocked, "You should be more careful in future"

"Fuck you!", Meg retorted, scrambling to her feet.

"Now, I'm a patient guy so I'll give you one last chance to tell me where Lindsay has gone to. You will be spared, I'll make sure of that. But this is really none of your business, so it's wise that you just _tell_ me where she is and get out of our lives; that way nobody is hurt", he explained whilst he knelt down to Meg's level, his eyes glinting wickedly, "So, where is she? I know that you know, so all you have to do is tell me"

"Fat chance, blue boy!", Meg shouted, "I'm not leaving without Lindsay and Mei, so you'd better 'fess up and tell _me _where they are, or so help me God I _will _lash out!"

"But what have I done wrong?", he asked innocently. Meg very nearly burst into maniacal laughter.

"What have you _done_?", she screamed, "You've brought her back here against her will-"

"Against her will?", he repeated, "No no, more like _saved _her from poverty and homelessness"

"Come again?"

"Poor Meg - didn't you know? All the time Lindsay was trying to contact you, she had been evicted and left on the streets. I did what any good _loyal_ friend would have done and brought her and Mei here. Both of them have shelter and food and anything they desire. And where were _you_ during this time?"

Meg didn't answer. She didn't have to.

"Well, there ya go", Sonic replied, "Also, I was having a brief conversation with Lindsay earlier on and not _once _did she mention that she needed you to help her"

"You're lying", Meg snapped.

"No I'm not", he answered back, "No. I'm. Not"

"Well, if you've given her everything, why has she run off?", Meg enquired.

"Because she's been influenced by the likes of you. You see, this is what I hate about you, Meg. You always poke your nose into other peoples' business and attempt to make them better but in fact you make them so much _worse_"

"The feeling's mutual"

"But luckily for you, I know just how to handle people like yourself, and that's what I intend to do", Sonic smirked. Suddenly his smirk vanished, "I've finally got my family back, and I'll make sure that you stay out of our lives"

Suddenly, he struck Meg's face with the back of his hand, causing Meg to black out and fall to the floor. Sonic pulled her limp body over his right shoulder, sniffed once and left the room casually, Meg bumping back and forth on his shoulder.

_Now, what to do with the body…?_, Sonic asked himself in his head as he made his way down the corridor.

* * *

Something was happening. The room slowly began to twist before Lindsay's eyes. Horrible spiralling illusions invaded her eyesight as she stumbled towards the bedroom which originally had the tunnel that led to her only escape from this hellhole. Despite her dizziness, Lindsay was determined to leave as soon as possible. She wondered why she was drowsy, and concluded that there was something on the orange juice that spiked her. Either that, or she was going crazy.

She opened the double doors of the bedroom, peering and sweating consistently as she slouched towards the wall that hid the secret tunnel. The bleary eyesight worsened as Lindsay focussed on the desired wall, causing her to slump against a wall for a few minutes exhaustedly. She closed her eyes for a moment and re-opened them, hoping her eyesight would improve from there on.

To her horror, the portraits in the room suddenly became animated before her very eyes, each picture smiling knowingly and laughing, mocking her physical state. The figures in the small-framed pictures on the dresser began to weep, and as Lindsay peered closer to the pictures, she reeled back with shock to discover the unknown Mobians in the pictures were crying tears of blood. Lindsay scrambled towards her selected destination, glancing every now and then at the pictures surrounding the room that taunted and teased her.

"They're going to laugh at you!", she heard a voice scream inside her head, "They're going to take away your most valued possession… They're going to drive you crazy… They're going to make you weep tears of blood…"

"Who are you?", Lindsay screamed at the lively portraits, "What do you want from me?"

The voice gradually faded, leaving the continuous laughter to haunt Lindsay's ears to which she desperately fumbled on the wall that led to the tunnel, pressed on it firmly and fought her way in when it eventually slid open. As a result of her state, Lindsay clumsily tripped and fell down the concrete steps, cursing as she banged her elbow against the ground. But, she was where she wanted to be. She just needed to see if it was possible to use the same escape route again.

"Come on, come on, Linds, get yourself together!", she hissed maniacally to herself. She had no time to waste, no time to take it easy; she must do! Yet, despite her best effort, the atmosphere around her continued to spiral out of control, obscuring her focus: darkness, endless halls, an odd flickering light at the end of the path… no, wait, what was that?

Stumbling, she hobbled down the steps and rapidly made her way through the area, grasping the crumbling walls nearby. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Should she go towards the strange light? Lindsay had come this far, it would be a waste not to go further.

As she reached the flickering light which intrigued her curiosity, Lindsay learned that the alleyway had led her to none other than the infamous prison cells. She leaned against a wall, rubbing her throbbing forehead as she recalled how they had managed to escape the building, almost imagining a ghost version of herself appearing in front of her very eyes and rein acting the movements.

_This is fucked up_, she concluded wildly, _this truly is messed up. Oh God, __**how**__ am I going to get out of here?_

There was a voice. Movement. She peered cautiously, afraid of being caught if possible. Lindsay covered her mouth in case any noise escaped, watching fearfully as a blue hedgehog dragged a uniformed body into a lone cell.

"… It's like my mother used to say: Don't get involved and you don't get hurt", Sonic remarked and threw Meg's body onto the ground. He glanced at Meg, content of having dominance for once and was about to leave the cell and lock it up when he heard a croaky voice behind him.

"What did you do?"

He spun around. Lindsay came out of the shadows, beads of sweat standing out on her forehead, scarcely breathing.

"She deserved it. She was trespassing"

Lindsay scuttled to the heap on the ground, her fingers scrabbling to Meg's neck, squeezing desperately and frantically. She began to panic.

"You've _killed _her!", she howled, "How _could_ you?"

"Try again, stupid", Sonic answered back. She relaxed and gently traced her fingers on Meg's neck. True enough, there was a pulse. Lindsay felt relieved, but feared for her life when she sensed him watching her from behind.

"So, what are _you_ doing here?", he enquired slowly. She stood up slowly and gently, peering at him through her hazy eyesight.

"I-I got lost", she stammered.

"Why, where were you going?"

"I-I don't feel well. I just w-wanted to lie down", which was half true, since she was close to fainting. She backed away desperately, closer to something that had caught her eye earlier on. Sonic smirked darkly, walking towards her.

"Now I _definitely _know that you're lying. I know that _you _know about the tunnels-"

"But that's impossible!", she cried, "I was the only one who knew-"

"Ah, but you're forgetting one small detail Linds; I _live _here", he replied, "These tunnels aren't exactly a secret. Me and my brother used to play down here every day when we were younger. From time to time we used to watch the prisoners down here and tease them from time to time, knowing that they couldn't do anything back"

Lindsay dithered, her knees buckling slightly. She couldn't believe what she was being told - her conscience had once told her that when she had taken action or had done something drastic enough, she would be free for an eternity… so why the hell was she back to square one? And if Sonic knew about the tunnels, her only chance of escaping was very slim. It felt as though she was a permanent prisoner.

"You're obviously confused, Linds", Sonic announced suddenly, holding out his right arm, "Come on, let's go"

"I'm staying here", she slurred, "I'm not leaving Meg"

"Have it your way, then", Sonic declared and turned to leave, "In that case you'll receive the same harsh treatment as Meg will get, so don't go around thinking you're special"

She didn't need to. As his back was turned, Lindsay grabbed the rusty iron pole that lay against the wall nearby and despite her blurry state, she swung the pole viciously towards him. Just before the pole struck him on the head, Sonic spun around and caught hold of it, pulling it out of her shaky grasp and threw it to the furthest corner of the cell.

"Tsk, tsk", he commented, "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to run with sharp or dangerous objects?"

"Damn it, fuck you!", she screamed.

"Now there's an idea", he chuckled, "After all, we've still to continue our get-together from earlier this morning-"

Before he could continue, Sonic felt somebody forcing him into an arm-lock from behind and tightening their grip on his arms.

"Linds, get out of here", the voice behind him said, "Now"

"Come on, Meg", Sonic coaxed in a relaxed manner despite remaining in an arm-lock, "Don't make things worse for yourself"

"I mean it, Lindsay", Meg urged, "Get out now before he hurts you!"

"God", Sonic sighed impatiently, "Look Meg, when I said that I found your involvement in our private business annoying I actually _meant_ it. So, do me a favour, let go, or I'll make sure that you _will_ be taken care of"

Meg glared at the back of Sonic's head, and then looked at Lindsay. Lindsay was so petrified of what he might do but was so exhausted and dehydrated that she didn't actually _care_ what would happen next. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep forever.

"Linds?", Meg whispered. Lindsay shook her head in a confused manner and collapsed to the floor, trembling. Sonic couldn't help but smirk.

"You had your chance, Meg", he remarked and swung his head backwards, smacking the back of his head against Meg's forehead. Shocked, Meg immediately pulled away, clutching her throbbing forehead, cursing loudly. Sonic spun around and punched Meg on her stomach, winding her as a result. Feeling superior, Sonic grabbed the rusty pole nearby and viciously swung it towards Meg's head. The pole gave a sickening thud when it collided with Meg's head, causing her to cry out painfully and fall to the ground. Sonic stood over her, the pole in his hands, ready for her to fight back. Meg didn't. Instead, she scuttled away as far as possible, spitting out a broken tooth in a disgusted manner. Lindsay peered at the heap on the floor and saw for the first time in her life the glimpse of fear in Meg's eyes.

"Don't", Meg pleaded, "God, please. _Don't_"

Both Meg and Lindsay saw the look in his eyes. They knew it was impossible to fight with Sonic at this rate.

He raised the pole at a high level. Ready to strike.

"Stop!", Lindsay shouted as she scrambled to her feet and desperately grabbed his arms, attempting to pull them down, "Just stop! Please!"

"Linds!", Meg cried out.

"You've done enough, today", she argued, "Leave her alone"

Sonic smirked. This was what he wanted the entire time; he wanted Lindsay to finally give in. Of course, he had no intention to _kill_ Meg, but the feeling of superiority and strength was overwhelming. It took him a great deal to control himself.

"Sure thing", he declared peacefully. Lindsay crawled over to Meg, crying in the process.

"Meg… I'm so sorry", she burbled, "I never intended this to happen. I'm really, _really_ sorry…"

"Linds, we'll get out", Meg whispered back determinedly, "Just do your best. Don't worry about me. Do what you think is right"

"Come on", Sonic announced suddenly whilst pulling Lindsay to her feet, "We're getting out of here"

"Where are you taking me?", Lindsay slurred fearfully, "I wanna know… where are you _taking_ me?"

"Never you mind. Just be grateful that you aren't hurt… yet", he answered back whilst dragging Lindsay's drugged body out of the room, Lindsay cursing and struggling as they went.

The cell was silent as Meg slowly sat up and examined herself cautiously. Hell, that was rough. She cursed herself for exposing her fear during the performance, knowing that Sonic knew she had a weakness which was shown after an extent. She was terrified of what would happen to her friend, but her thoughts were pushed to the side when she gingerly felt her left ear, and when she pulled her hand away, Meg found blood dripping down the palm of her hand. Fearful, Meg had come to learn that she was bleeding from inside her ear as she stuck her finger in her ear again and pulled a very bloody finger.

Meg, from past experiences, knew very well that she would receive little medical attention now that she was a prisoner.

To her, time was running out.

Her time precious and deadly.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, readers! I feel I should inform you that the publishment of the next chapter will be delayed as I'm going on holiday all of next week, all the better to anticipate what will happen next! So feel free to R&R during this time!**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**


	7. Conspiracy

**A/N - I'm baaack! Ah, I had SUCH a great time at the Festival I went to! Anyway, here's the latest chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

"What's _that_?", Mei asked curiously as Tikal produced a brown bottle beside her breakfast plate in the dining room. Lindsay paused suddenly as she peered from behind her quills that covered her face like a set of curtains, sitting nearby her daughter. She felt awful. From what she had remembered the previous night had been a complete nightmare when she and Sonic were alone after leaving the prison cells, and when he hinted a repetition of the previous night's events if she didn't join them for breakfast, Lindsay shot down the stairs immediately, knowing that he was speaking the truth.

Yet she could barely stand the pain in her body. She felt hickeys forming on her neckline, the pain around her thighs unbearable to which she flinched every now and then because of the pain, her arms aching from the continuous struggles from trying to escape the inevitable the night before. She leant against the palm of her hand as she supported herself to sit upright at the table, fatigue forming in her eyes.

But she listened closely to the conversation between Tikal and Mei.

"It's Castor oil", Tikal announced brightly, "A spoonful a day keeps you fit and healthy!"

"Eurgh!", Mei exclaimed, "Why would I want to eat _that_?"

"It keeps you fit and strong", Tikal replied. Mei shook her head and folded her arms fiercely.

"Don't want it", she pouted.

"Come on, Mei. It tastes just like, erm… candy, yeah, candy", Tikal coaxed. Mei shuffled in her chair so that her back was facing Tikal.

"No thanks", she answered briskly. Tikal suddenly looked fearful. She tried once more. Lindsay watched with fascination.

"Please have some, Mei. Just a spoonful! That's all I ask", Tikal practically pleaded, "Your Daddy might be angry if you don't have a spoonful today"

"But Daddy-"

"And think about it this way - if you don't have any today, that means you'll have _two_ spoonfuls to eat tomorrow!"

"Yuck!"

"Exactly, so can you try a spoonful and see if-"

"My daughter doesn't want any Castor oil", Lindsay suddenly announced, "And she doesn't need any. So go away and stop _bothering _us!"

Tikal's complexion went very pale and she silently began to take the bottle away, but was suddenly interrupted by Sonic.

"Mei needs her daily dose", he argued, "And you will give her it, Tikal"

Tikal stood on the spot, confused. Who was she to obey?

"Don't you dare…", Lindsay threatened, glaring at Sonic.

"Tikal, give Mei her dose", he said sternly. Tikal stared at him and jumped into action; opening the bottle quickly and carefully pouring a generous amount onto a spoon. She slowly put the spoon against Mei's lips. Mei pressed her lips together firmly, refusing to co-operate.

"Mei", Sonic warned. Mei looked at her father and reluctantly opened her mouth and swallowed the Castor oil. She immediately coughed and gagged at the horrid taste.

"It's horrible!", she complained.

"Now, Mei, you're going to have this every day from now on", Sonic replied.

"Excuse me?", Lindsay interrupted, "Mei doesn't need this damn oil, she's perfectly fit and healthy"

"It's for the best", Sonic argued.

"Oh, what's going to happen if she doesn't take any? Will the World end?", Lindsay snapped sarcastically, "_I'm_ her mother, and _I'll _decide if she needs Castor oil or not"

"As far as we're concerned _I'm _the leader of this household, so whatever I say goes, understood?", Sonic remarked. Lindsay glared at him and went back to staring at her breakfast. The maid she had pleaded freedom to earlier suddenly appeared and produced a fresh glass of orange juice.

"There you go, ma'am", she announced eagerly, "Nice and refreshing"

"What's in it?", Lindsay demanded fiercely. After all, she had a right to know what they had used to drug her. Sonic looked up from his paper, bewildered over how Lindsay had known that her juice had been spiked before. This was going to be even more difficult than he had expected…

The maid blushed slightly but attempted to look relaxed and under control.

"There's nothing in it, Ma'am. Just plain ordinary orange juice. You drink it all up, dear"

"I don't want it", Lindsay spat back. The maid hesitated as she cleared the plates on the table.

"Well, I suppose I can't force you, my dear, but it is there if you need a bit of refreshment", the maid replied but she glanced despairingly at Sonic. Sonic hesitated… and nodded slightly. He would have to discuss other methods with the staff later, but for now it was only fair to allow Lindsay to recover from the previous day. She peered at him suddenly and slid the glass across the table.

"Here, drink some", she offered sweetly, curious to see if he would drink the mixture himself. Sonic stared back at her and smirked.

"No thanks. You have it", he teased.

"I prefer pineapple juice, thanks", she answered back, her smile vanishing. Tikal whispered in Mei's ear and they both began to leave the table.

"Where are you going?", Lindsay demanded.

"Mei has to go and try on some dresses", Tikal announced happily.

"I'm coming along, too. I want to see that she's in good hands", she answered back and rapidly left the dining table. Stunned, Tikal stood on the spot and eventually left with her.

As Lindsay marched down the main hallway, she was shocked to bump into Vanilla Rabbit who was surrounded with bags of material alongside Cream, Cheese, and Blaze the Cat. Lindsay was stunned to see how much Cream had aged since she last saw her, now that she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and earrings in her ears. Cream had also grown taller and her faced aged slightly with maturity, taking away her child-like appearance.

"What's going on?", she asked, bewildered.

"Lindsay?", Vanilla asked delightedly, "Is that really you? I-I'm stunned with happiness!"

"I can't believe we've never met!", Blaze cried excitedly to Lindsay, "How proud you must be that your daughter has been chosen!"

"_Chosen?_", Lindsay repeated, "For what exactly?"

Vanilla suddenly nudged Blaze suggestively. Blaze's mouth dropped open slightly and immediately closed, her cheeks suddenly flushing.

"Never mind, never mind", she answered, "So, where is she?"

"Linds, I can't believe how much you've changed throughout the years!", Cream cried, her voice deeper from ageing, "Where did you go to? We've been so worried about where you went but when we heard that you returned we were so happy!"

"That's right", Vanilla chipped in, "After all, you couldn't possibly raise a child by yourself"

"_You_ raised a child by yourself!", she argued back.

"Still, you're young. You need the support", she answered back. Vanilla picked up the bags surrounding her, "So, where do we go from here?"

"There's a fitting room just upstairs", Tikal told them and off they went, carrying the bags with them, chatting and laughing as though everything was normal, ignoring the distraught pink hedgehog. Lindsay stared at the group as they led her daughter upstairs. _Why the hell does Mei need dresses?_, she thought hysterically and leaped into action, practically running up the stairs to join them. She stared as the women pulled out materials out of the hundreds of bags and placed Mei on a small chair, discussing colours and types materials that they could use.

"-No, velvet is too obvious. We need something that stands out, you know? Something like… like…", Blaze struggled and breathed out when she saw Lindsay hovering nearby, "Lindsay? What do you think? What should we use?"

"What for?", she whispered back.

"Materials-wise?", Blaze asked, "For the dress?"

"You didn't answer my question. What's all this for? What's going on?"

"Just a question", Blaze smiled innocently. Lindsay eyed her suspiciously.

"Well, what does it matter? Unless you're not telling me something-"

"I think we could do with a cup of tea", Vanilla interrupted, "Lindsay, why don't you go and get it for us?"

"I could-", Tikal began.

"No, Lindsay will get it for us. Okay, Linds?"

"Mm", she answered, but left the room. She could do with a bit of fresh air, but there was something going on behind her back. She leant against the wall beside the door as not to be noticed from the women inside the room, listening to their conversation.

"…all very well, but are you deliberately trying to give away the plans?", Vanilla hissed.

"But I thought she knew! After all, it would be unfair if she wasn't told what was going on", Blaze protested.

"Look", Cream hissed to Blaze, "We were sworn to secrecy and we absolutely can_not_ breathe a word about this to _anyone_"

"But what about-"

"Leave Lindsay out of this because we all know that she'll freak out and try to stop us… unless you want anarchy to be unleashed in the country?", Vanilla asked Blaze.

"Erm, no… but-"

"Well, I suggest you keep your mouth buttoned for the time-being. After all, we're doing what's best for everyone"

"What are you talking about?", Mei piped up.

"We're, uh… talking about plans for a party, sweetheart", Cream lied, "But you must promise _not_ to tell _anyone_, okay?"

"Not a living, breathing soul?", Mei asked in a hushed tones.

"Noone", Vanilla added solemnly.

"Oh, okay, I promise!", Mei exclaimed happily.

Stunned and confused, Lindsay slowly made her way downstairs. So… something definitely _was_ going on behind her back… and they didn't want her to know about it…

As she crept into the kitchen, she noticed the bottle of Castor oil sitting on one of the kitchen units. Curious over the significance about the oil, Lindsay gingerly picked it up and sniffed it slightly. The oil had a harsh, bitter scent which caused her to reel back and gag slightly. Even Castor oil couldn't smell or taste _this_ bad, she remembered how Angela used to feed _her_ Castor oil once a week, but even then the oil didn't smell or taste too bad.

She dipped her finger into the bottle and hesitantly licked her finger. Oh, the taste was too horrible for words, but she was desperate to see why Tikal was so desperate for Mei to eat the damn stuff. Realising that there was no sudden effect and that the bitter taste wouldn't wash away, Lindsay finally gave in and made cups of tea. She was tempted to drug the tea like they had done with her orange juice, but Vanilla and Cream were here friends. And as for Blaze? Well, she hardly knew Blaze herself, so could she trust her…?

The idea ran through her mind as she crept back up the stairs balancing a tray of cups of tea. Lindsay leant against the wall beside the doors once more in order to gain more information about what was going on. She could hear Vanilla speaking to Cream.

"This isn't right. I was informed that she must be at least this weight, so she'll have to lose about roughly two pounds in order to meet their needs"

That's where Lindsay had to step in to defend her daughter. She marched into the room, ignoring the scalding tea splashing over the china and onto her fingers.

"How _dare_ you not consult me about my daughter's weight?", she shouted, "Mei is perfectly healthy and she doesn't _need_ to diet so leave her be! What the fuck is _wrong_ with you people?"

"Language, dear", Vanilla pointed out politely, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"And why, may I ask, does Mei need to diet?", Lindsay asked, her voiced still raised.

"Never you mind", Blaze lied, "You don't look so good, sweetheart. Here, why don't you go and have a good sleep and take your mind off of things, Mm?"

Lindsay stared at Blaze, Vanilla and Cream as though they were crazy. How could they be so ignorant and blind? Besides, she was afraid to sleep; bad things always occurred when she fell asleep.

"_**Fuck sleep**_!", she shouted and threw the tray onto the floor. The china smashed into thousands of small pieces and tea and milk spilled and covered the floor around the tray. The tea slowly spread across the red carpet, creating an ugly stain in the process. Lindsay grabbed Mei from the chair and left the room with her daughter in her arms. She didn't care what the three women left in the room thought, she just wanted everything to be normal. She just wanted out of the Palace and lead a normal life.

She wanted everyone to understand her pain and ordeal.

* * *

"Isn't it strange?", Espio piped up whilst they sat in the back of a van, "That since Meg left us we've not heard of her since then?"

"Never mind that!", Vector cried, "What I'm more concerned about is that my damn earphones are broken!"

"Well, that's what you get for listening to your music too loud", Espio remarked, "And besides, you don't _listen _to music during a mission; may I remind you that I was nearly shot in the arm thanks to a certain someone 'cause they didn't pay attention to what was going on around them because of a certain set of earphones…?"

"Okay, okay", Vector declared, "My bad!"

"Look, all I'm saying is that if Meg isn't back by now, something's happened", Espio commented, "Just look at Stan over there"

Tapping his foot impatiently, Stan re-dialled Meg's number into his cell phone. The mission had been a complete disaster ever since Vector failed to listen out for any alarms; after all, only a fool would listen to _Gorillaz_ when they're disconnecting a security system at the same time - it's simply bad karma. There was a huge ambush which resulted with the gang running for their lives for miles in the darkness before the all-clear was given. The only thing that Stan cared about was going home to a hot shower and a ham sandwich in front of his television. Tired, cold, and cranky, Stan listened into the small earpiece.

"Meg here. I'm not available just now, so leave a message", answered the voicemail.

"Damn it, Meg", Stan hissed into the speaker, "You'd better not be fucking around. I've just had the worst possible night ever with these two assholes, and I'm not in the mood to spend any more time with them, so phone me back as soon as possible!"

"Any reply?", Espio asked curiously. Stan paused and slowly shook his head.

"Naw, man", he answered back, slouching against the van.

"Shouldn't we be heading back home?", Vector piped up.

"Why?", Stan snapped, "Are you dying without your earphones?"

"Whoa!", Vector exclaimed, "Tou_chy_!"

"Look", Stan began, "I didn't mean to snap, but I haven't heard a word from Meg all morning, so something must be wrong"

"Do you want to try one more time?", Espio encouraged Stan. Stan stared at the unresponsive phone. He had failed to contact Meg all morning, but supposing one more phone call could make a huge difference…? Especially if Meg actually answered this time, then things were good to go. Stan fished into his pocket and produced a coin.

"Heads, I phone once more time", he announced, "Tails, I don't"

He flipped the coin into the air and caught it in one hand and rested it firmly on the back of his other hand. He peeked anxiously at his result…

* * *

"So, you think something's in this oil?", Lindsay asked and passed the bottle through the small space between the bars. Meg propped herself against the wall in her cell and grabbed the bottle. She opened the bottle in a weakly fashion and gingerly sniffed at the contents inside and reeled back. Lindsay stared back at her, waiting for an answer.

"No doubt about it", Meg exhaled, "Sedatives"

"_Seriously_?"

"Yep. Strong sedatives, too. This can be pretty fatal if in the wrong hands, did you have any of this?"

"No", Lindsay lied, hugging Mei closer to her body. Mei rubbed her eyes exhaustedly, yawning.

"Mommy", she whimpered, "I'm tired"

"Did Mei have any of this stuff?", Meg asked urgently.

"She was forced to have a spoonful"

"How much _was_ in the spoonful?"

"I don't know! It was a… generous dose, but it wasn't too much!"

"It must have been plenty if she's like this", Meg mentioned as she slumped against the wall.

"Your point being?"

"Linds, it's 11 in the morning", Meg coughed and leant against the wall, closing her eyes. It was as though Lindsay was looking at her properly for the first time. Meg looked very weak and very pale and withdrawn, her face wet with perspiration, her left ear stained a dark colour.

"Are you okay?", Lindsay whispered anxiously. She prayed for Meg to reassure both of them but to her dismay Meg shook her head carefully and wrapped her arms around her legs, putting herself in an awkward crouching position.

"I feel awful", she confided to the two hedgehogs, "I don't know what's wrong with me, but something's going on and I definitely need medical attention"

"Meg, I don't know if you'll get any…"

Meg sat properly on her legs in a praying gesture and looked pleadingly into Lindsay's eyes, grabbing her only free hand. The pain was unbearable, she was beginning to shake uncontrollably, and she knew if she was not examined sooner of later, dire consequences were to follow.

"Linds", she whispered, "I rarely beg, but this is something I _really _need. Please, _please _can you see that you can get me a doctor?"

"Well", Lindsay struggled, "I can try…"

"Oh, please!", Meg begged, "After all, you're Royalty now - they'll have to listen to you"

"Urgh", she muttered back, "Don't remind me… but I'll give it my best shot"

She marched towards one of the National Guards sitting nearby who sat by himself reading a magazine, clutching her daughter in her arms.

"Hey, you!", she called out. The National Guard jumped when he was alerted, mostly because he wasn't expecting to be disturbed during his shift. He scrambled out of his chair, and stood at attention.

"Yes, can I-I help you, ma'am?", he asked nervously.

"My friend needs medical assistance, and I want her to be examined thoroughly for any infections or whatever", she demanded in her bossiest voice ever. The National Guard stood on the spot, stunned. The poor guy had only just begun working with the team, and knew very little over what was going on. All of a sudden, it felt as though it was too much work for him to handle. He attempted to distract her in order to escape such an awkward scene.

"I-I'm Jet", he announced, "Pleased to meet you… I'm sorry, I don't know your name"

"I'm surprised with you", she replied flatly, "I thought you would recognise a member of the Royal Family before you, but I suppose you can't really judge a book by it's cover. It's highly degrading"

"I'm sorry!", Jet exclaimed, "I really am! You see, I'm new here, and-"

"I don't give a stuff about your life story", Lindsay explained, "All I care about is that if my friend doesn't get any medication for her pain, your life will be a living Hell"

"We-well, I'm really not allowed to give her anything", Jet stammered, "It's against our regulations"

"Oh, so you would allow an innocent person to die, is that correct?"

"That's the exception", the Hawk answered, his confidence building, "Your friend's the exception in this case - She's a prisoner, and the way we see it, prisoners learn the hard way"

"Huh, just goes to show you there's a great deal of ignorance in the World", she turned around to face the small number of prisoners who were staring at her with awe, and repeated loudly, "I said there's a great deal of ignorance in the World. Why, wasn't it the Lord Jesus Christ who said to unto others the way you'd want them to unto you?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And don't get me wrong, wouldn't you want to be treated to medication if your life was endangered?"

"… Yeah, I suppose so", Jet admitted. Lindsay gave him a pitiful look and relaxed. Mei exhaustedly sunk her head into her mother's right shoulder, yawning.

"Look", she began, her voice calm and relaxed, "I know your job is stressful and honestly I can't blame you. I know you've been given strict instructions, but think of it this way; I'm the Queen and I have the equal amount of power as my… husband. Now, I know you're worried about this, but don't be. I'll make sure none of this will be revealed. It'll be like our own little secret, you know?"

Jet hesitated, and reluctantly went to a nearby cupboard.

"What does she need?", he called out.

"Aspirin", Meg answered, "And plenty of it"

"Okay", he answered. Jet passed the Aspirin through the cell bars and glanced at Lindsay, "You sure you can take care of this?"

"Do I look like an idiot?", she demanded, "Of course I can handle this. Now, run along and get back into your position"

Jet scuttled away, petrified. Lindsay felt empowered, having just given out her first official order. It felt _great_. _Wow_, she thought, _so this is what it feels like to have so much power!_

"Thanks so much!", Meg exclaimed as she ripped the packet of medicine open eagerly.

"Will that do you for just now?", she asked back, clutching Mei's body.

"Definitely", Meg answered and eyed Lindsay up, "Are you okay?"

"I feel…", Lindsay struggled, "… _tired_"

"Did you take any of that oil?"

"Juss… a li'l", Lindsay slurred, "Look, I'm real exhausted, talk to you la'er, 'kay?"

"Erm, okay", Meg replied and watched her friend slowly leave the area.

* * *

Was it just her, or did she hear a ringing sound in one of the nearby rooms? Mei raised her head and realised she was back in her own bedroom, curled up in her bed. She rubbed her eyes and peered into the room. And what a room it was! A lovely, grand room with a hint of pearly pink on the walls with white and gold matching frames and matching furniture and her own balcony. True, she had a small amount of possessions, but every day Mei was beginning to receive more and more gifts from her father that stunned and pleased her. To Mei, it felt as though as time passed by, she grew to love her father more and more.

Which was why she got up, despite her tiresome attitude, and followed the ringing sound that led her out of her bedroom, down the hallway, and into a lounge where she found a bag on one of the coffee tables. Inside was Meg's possessions that were confiscated from her, including her cell phone. The ringing sound repeated consistently to an extent where Mei grudgingly picked up the phone and looked at the Caller I.D.. It was Stan. She flicked the cell phone open and answered it.

"Hello?", she asked calmly.

"Meg?", Stan cried, "Is that you?"

"Hi, Uncle Stan", Mei replied.

"Oh, Mei! Oh, thank God!", he cried, "What's going on? Where's Meg?"

"I don't know", she answered back innocently, "In a strange room with lots of cells"

"Where are you all? Are you all okay?"

"We're fine. We're with my Daddy - he's so _cool_!"

"Shit… has he hurt you? What has he done to you? Tell me!"

"He's done _nothing_, Uncle Stan! What has gotten into you and Mommy?"

"Is Mom okay?", he asked urgently.

"_I_ don't know. She keeps shouting and hitting other people and crying and acting _weird_"

"Oh, _fuck_", Stan hissed over the phone, "Listen Mei, tell your Mom that I'll be over there as soon as possible. Wait… have you seen Meg anywhere?"

"Erm", Mei struggled, "No…"

"Are you sure?"

"Mm, I don't _know_", she moaned, "I'm tired, Uncle Stan, I'll talk to you later"

"No!", he cried, "Don't hang up! Listen, get your Mom and yourself to safety and wait for me in the back garden on Monday night, okay?"

"You don't even know where we _are_!", Mei persisted.

"Trust me, I've got an idea of where you might be, so you'll do that for me, yeah?"

"Mm"

"And tell Mom as well?"

"Yeah, sure…"

"But you _have _to promise _not_ to tell Dad or anyone else, got it?"

"'Course"

"Okay", Stan concluded, "I'll see you then"

"Bye bye", Mei said. She stood still, swaying backwards and forwards in a rhythmic fashion. She _wanted _to go back to bed more than anything in the World, but there was something she had to do first. She obediently walked out of the lounge with the cell phone in her hand and down the hallway, down the staircase, and took a left until she could easily hear Sonic speaking in his phone in a separate room. Mei slowly opened the doors and crept in. Sonic took no notice as he continued his conversation.

"She's making progress; I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised", he confirmed, "What? Well, according to Vanilla she needs to lose about two pounds, but she's made steady progress; she's skipped lunch and dinner-"

Mei glanced at the skies through the large windows. True enough, she had slept during the entire day as she gazed at the deep blue evening skies. Even though she had missed two meals, she wasn't hungry at all. In fact, she felt… _awful_. She focussed her attention on her father once more.

"- so I'm sure it won't be long before she reaches her required weight. Excuse me? … Oh no, she's a lovely girl, really. Well behaved and poised. Mm… Yeah, I know she won't like _that_, then again, who would? But if it's part of the plan then it has to be done; after all, everything has to be perfect", Sonic continued and then keyed into his iPad, "What date suits you? Well… how about in a fortnight's time? Yes? Oh, _great_! I'll send over some V.I.P. passes to you and I'll keep you up to date as time goes by. Mm? Ah yes, pleasure doing business with you!"

Sonic happily ended the call and shifted a few files on his desk, and jumped slightly when he caught Mei staring at him in the dimmed room. It was though Mei was a puppet being controlled by invisible strings, as though she was forced to do everything against her will. Sonic pitied her, knowing what he was doing was wrong but if it was to strengthen the power of the country then he couldn't turn down the opportunity. He straightened up and smiled.

"Wotcha, my best girl", he exclaimed, "How are you feeling?"

"Mm, so-so", she answered, "Daddy, I'm tired"

"Well, why don't you go back to bed?", he suggested.

"Mm, I need to tell you something", she slurred.

"What is it?"

"Daddy", she produced the cell phone, "Uncle Stan phoned and he said he's going to come over on Monday night, but I came to check to see if you knew about it"

"No", Sonic muttered, "No, I didn't"

"He told me not to tell you, but I wanted to tell you anyway. I hate keeping secrets"

"Oh? Do you have any other secrets?"

"Yeah, Mommy made this guy give Auntie Meg some medicine because she wasn't feeling well… did I do the right thing telling you?"

"'Course you did", he persisted and encouraged Mei to sit beside him on the couch, "You shouldn't ever hesitate to tell me anything, you can trust me"

She smiled and sat beside him, realising how much she loved her father.

"Tell you what", he said as he took the cell phone from Mei, smiling, "Why don't you and Mom meet up with Stan on Monday night? After all, he's a family friend, why not see him?"

"You… don't mind?"

"Not at all", he insisted, "I have my own friends to see whenever I want, and so do you and Mom"

"Oh _great_", Mei smiled, "It's been a while since I've seen Uncle Stan! Will you join us on Monday?"

"Mm, I can't. Sorry, Mei, I need to see somebody that night"

Mei's ears drooped with dismay. Sonic smiled and produced a small wrapped gift.

"I got you something", he announced.

"_Really_?", Mei asked, snapping out of her sadness. He handed over the small parcel. Mei carefully took it and opened it. Inside was a necklace with a floral pendant and a hint of a diamante design.

"Oh, it's _lovely_!", she cried, "Thank you!"

"No need to thank me, I just like to see you smile. Now, you'll still eat your Castor Oil?"

"Do I _have_ to?", she wailed, "It's disgusting!"

"You still need to take it, Mei. No ifs or buts", he replied firmly.

Mei slumped in her seat, dreading the next dose of Oil she was going to receive in the near future. After hearing Meg's conversation with Lindsay from earlier on Mei was scared; was everyone actually trying to drug her, or was it all a joke? The taste was vile and she felt strange after her first dose - Mei no longer felt lively and her mind seemed to turn into mush, things didn't make sense anymore, and she felt severely controlled…

Mei was very curious over what was going on, even if they claimed she was 'too young' to understand. But questions and answers could wait; for now all she could care about was returning to her bed and sleeping for an eternity…


	8. Ambush

**Here it is! Chapter 8!**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

Monday evening. Sonic was gone which had suited Lindsay to a great extent. However, not only did she live through the fear of his return, she was concerned regarding Mei's welfare. Mei had grown very pale and quiet over the weekend, and it looked as though she had lost a bit of weight. They sat at the dining table, and she watched with horror and fascination as Mei toyed with her food… and pushed away her plate, still piled with food.

"I'm done", she announced in a quiet voice. _She can't be_, Lindsay thought as she eyed Mei's sickly physique, _she's hardly eaten at all!_

"Would you like some dessert, Mei?", Lindsay persuaded her. Mei eyed the delicious food on her plate. She knew she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast - consisting of a small fruit salad and a dose of Castor Oil - but she felt constantly… _ill_. Mei knew that even one forkful of chicken or a spoonful of ice-cream would make her vomit.

"No, thank you", she replied politely, rubbing her eyes.

"How about a little bit of fruit?", Lindsay suggested.

"Nah", Mei replied and stretched her arms, "I think I'll go to bed, now"

"You need to eat something", she persisted, "At least have an apple!"

"I think Mei's a bit under the weather", Tikal suddenly announced as she entered the room and walked towards them, "I'll take her off of your hands for a little while"

"No, thank you", Lindsay replied, "I'll take care of my own daughter, thanks"

"It's okay, I don't mind", Tikal soothed though her smile was beginning to stiffen, "I used to look after my siblings all the time, it really isn't a bother"

"I'd like to spend time with my own daughter, if you don't mind", Lindsay answered in her firmest voice, "After all, I am her mother"

_Honestly_, she thought to herself, _will this girl ever leave us alone?_

"Mei", she ordered her daughter, "Eat something. Now"

"I don't want anything to eat", Mei persisted. Lindsay lost patience whilst grabbing a fork and spearing a slice of cold meatloaf.

"If you don't eat anything I'll force-feed you myself, so help me God!", she shouted. Mei jumped and fearfully stared at her mother. She had _never _seen her mother this angry before in her entire life! Tikal stood in her roots but tried to calm Lindsay down once more.

"It's okay, I'll see to it that Mei eats something", she persuaded.

"I want to _see_ her eat something, otherwise how would I know that she's being looked after properly?", the pink hedgehog persisted, the fork wavering in her hand. Mei began to cry. Lindsay attempted to calm down.

"Now Mei", she began, "I just want you to eat this piece of meat, that's all. Can you do that for me?"

"Mommy", she sobbed and clutched her stomach, "I really don't feel well!"

"Just one bite"

"Mommy _please_!"

"I really don't think-", Tikal began.

"Mind your own _fucking_ business!", Lindsay screamed and turned back to Mei, "Just a small bite, that's all I ask"

Mei peered at the congealed meat on the fork through her tears. She couldn't help it. She felt so exhausted and run-down that doing anything seemed such an _effort. _Not to mention the constant stomach pains she endured; they were so awful that at times she ended up curling into a small heap due to the unbearable pain. She _didn't_ want to eat the food, but if it got her mother off of her back…

Mei slowly took the fork out of her mother's grasp and raised the meat to her lips. Slowly, she began to chew the meat. Lindsay took note of Mei's pale complexion and the dark shadows under her eyes, wondering if Mei really _was_ ill. She felt like a monster, forcing her child to eat when they didn't want to. Mei suddenly choked and was horribly sick, retching raw meatloaf onto the plate and onto the front of her dress.

"Now see what you've done", Tikal scolded and picked the shuddering child into her arms, "Come along, Mei, let's get you into bed"

"_I'll _take her to bed", Lindsay insisted and ripped Mei out of Tikal's arms, "Why don't you make yourself useful and stay out of our way?"

"Well…", Tikal started but allowed them to leave the room together.

* * *

Fuming, Lindsay marched through the corridors, ignoring the National Guards who nodded at her with respect. So, Mei _was_ ill in reality, mentally and physicaly, what happened to the little girl she once knew who was full of life?

And it was all _their_ fault.

"Mommy?", Mei mumbled in Lindsay's shoulder.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Mm, I forgot to tell you something"

"And what's that?"

"Uncle Stan's coming over, tonight"

Lindsay screeched to a halt. What did Mei just say…?

"Who's coming over?", Lindsay whispered.

"Uncle Stan", Mei's voice piped up, "He phoned on Saturday night and told me to tell you"

"Then _why_ didn't you tell me _sooner_?", Lindsay demanded.

"You never seemed interested in anything", Mei confessed, which was the _truth_. For the past couple of days, Lindsay had taken no notice of anything that deemed unimportant to herself. If you so much as spoke to her about ordinary things such as the weather, you wouldn't expect a response from her. Mei found it increasingly impossible to speak to her mother as each day went by, so what would be the point of telling her at the time?

Lindsay opened and closed her mouth with astonishment, and glanced out of the nearby window, thinking up an answer.

And that's when she saw him. Stan. Crouching behind nearby bushes trying to catch her attention by flashing a single light in her direction. Lindsay waved slightly and ran to the window, pressing her forehead slightly against the glass. Stan signalled back to her, mouthing words…

_Get out here, now!_, he mouthed.

_No, come over here!_, she mouthed back, gesturing with her hands. Stan shook his head.

_Security breech inside_, he mouthed whilst gesturing imaginary rifles with his hands. Lindsay looked around desperately and an idea came into her mind. She grabbed Mei and rushed to the nearby double doors which led them to the patio in the back garden outside. She placed Mei near the deckchairs.

"Stay there, sweetie, and _don't_ move a muscle, do you understand me?", she demanded and rushed towards the bushes, calling for Stan quietly at the same time.

"Stan!", she hissed in the darkness, "_Stan!_"

"I'm here!", he hissed back and joined her side, "Right, I have two others waiting nearby in a van, all we need to do is get Mei and Meg and then we can get out of here"

"But Stan", she protested, "Like you said, there's a security breech _everywhere_. How are you going to carry this out?"

"Simple", Stan hissed and handed Lindsay a Laser Scope rifle, "We play a small game of Cowboys and Indians"

Lindsay went pale.

"Stan, are you _crazy_?", she hissed, "Mei is standing right _there_! What if I accidentally hit her?"

"Then get her out of the fucking road!", he hissed back impatiently, "Bring her down here with us"

Lindsay considered the situation. If she called loudly enough, someone was sure to notice inside the building but if she went back for Mei herself, someone passing would _definitely_ notice something was going on.

"Mei", she hissed towards the patio, "_Mei_! Over here!"

Mei looked in her direction, and then looked back towards the double doors behind her longingly… and scuttled towards them. Thankfully nobody followed her from behind. When Mei joined them behind the thick bushes Lindsay pushed her safely behind her and Stan.

"Now listen", Lindsay hissed, "Don't say a word and stay right there, do you understand?"

"What are you going to do?", Mei asked, yawning.

"Is she okay?", Stan hissed to Lindsay, taking note of Mei's tiresome state.

"Long story", she answered and then looked back at Mei, "I'll explain later, okay, honey?"

"How are we for traffic?", Stan asked. Lindsay checked her amount of ammunition before snapping her weapon into position.

"It's pretty bad downstairs, I'm not so sure about upstairs or anywhere else"

"That's okay. I've got that covered"

"How?"

"Stan? Coming in loud and clear on this end!", a voice came from Stan's left ear. Lindsay peered in the darkness. Sure enough, Stan had an earpiece connected to his left ear where he remained in contact with somebody else.

"Who are you speaking to?", she whispered.

"Gotcha, Tails", Stan suddenly announced.

"_Tails_?", she squealed. Ever since she could remember Tails had been Sonic's best friend, they were practically joined to the hip! But now… Tails was helping Stan and Lindsay to fight _against _Sonic…? It didn't seem to make any sense!

"The World has _definitely_ gone mad!", she declared to herself madly, and turned back to Stan. He nodded twice and positioned himself through the leaves of the bush.

"Right, gotcha", Stan announced and peered through the small target range on his rifle. Expertly, he aimed and managed to shoot a National Guard near the opened double doors on the spot. The National Guard instantly hit the floor, lifeless. Lindsay watched, amazed. Two more National Guards appeared near the double doors, crouching over the dead troop, arguing.

"Right, Linds", Stan whispered, "Ready when you are"

"Okay", she whispered back. Lindsay was very inexperienced with weapons, but this was her only chance. She positioned herself so that she got a reasonable viewpoint and aimed. And shot her first bullet. The bullet flew and speared one National Guard's neck, causing him to fall immediately, blood spurting everywhere. The other National Guard shouted swear words but was suddenly silenced by a bullet from Stan's rifle as it pierced his chest viciously, causing the Guard to fall backwards, twitching.

"Hey Tails", Stan chuckled into his earpiece, "We've go ourselves a twitcher!"

"Nice one, Stan", Tails said through the earpiece, "But believe it or not, that was the last one you shot. There's nobody upstairs, and you've killed the Guards monitoring the area downstairs from where I can see. I think it's okay for you to go forward"

"You sure?", Stan enquired. Lindsay grabbed his earpiece suddenly and immediately began to talk.

"Lindsay! What the Hell?", Stan cried.

"Tails, is that you?", she asked curiously. Stan tried to grab the earpiece back.

"We have no _time_ for reunions!", Stan hissed back. She ignored him.

"Yeah, it is!", Tails exclaimed at the other end, "How have you been?"

"Mm, great, whatever", she answered back, "Look, Tails, how do you know if it's safe or not to go further?"

"On the earpiece is a sensor", Tails informed her, "And it sends out high frequencies around the area so not only does it let me see what's going around you, it's also got a night-vision chip that allows me to _see_ into the building from your point of view. Think of it as a small webcam"

"That's… awesome", she breathed out. Who knew technology could be so useful?

"Anyway", Tails said, "Put Stan back on. We need to discuss things"

And with that Stan stole back the earpiece and began to discuss rapidly into the small speaker. Moments later he nodded.

"Right, okay", he replied and nudged Lindsay, "Come on, let's move. It's all clear, but our time is precious"

"Okay", she said and pulled Mei up from the ground and the three Mobians ran into the building, heavily armed with weapons. Mei continued to whine as they ran.

"Mommy, I'm _tired_. I don't _want_ to go running", she moaned.

"Mei, just be quiet and follow us!", she insisted and the trio ran into the main hallway. Stan suddenly stopped and stared at Lindsay.

"Right, where to first?", he asked.

"What?", Lindsay cried, "Stan, we're like sitting ducks! What the Hell?"

"I need to get Meg, where is she?", Stan demanded.

"The prison cells", Lindsay told him, "But we've got to be careful. There's a couple of National Guards down there already"

"Lindsay's right", Tails announced in the earpiece, "There's at least one or two down there"

"So how do we get rid of them?", Stan asked. Mei suddenly looked up and smiled at the two adults.

"_I_ know!", she exclaimed, "_I_ know what to do!"

"What? Don't be silly, Mei", Lindsay scolded. Mei shook her head and toddled over to the door which led to the prison cells down below. Stan stared after her, and then at Lindsay, and reluctantly followed the violet hedgehog. Lindsay finally weakened and followed them. Her mind was filled with fear over what could happen, especially since Mei claimed that she knew what to do._ And what if they got caught?_

Mei seemed determined as she trampled down the steps and made her way to the prison cells with the two adults following her from behind. Mei saw two National Guards sitting at a table in the main room, reading magazines and chatting about the highlights in a Football game. Despite her tiredness, Mei stepped forward looking upset, in which her ghostly complexion came in handy. Mei licked her fingers and wiped her eyes with her wet fingers so that it seemed as though she had been crying. Stan stopped Lindsay from following Mei any further. They hid within the shadows so that they wouldn't be visible to the Guards. Mei stepped forward, her facial expression in a crumpled fixture, sniffling. One Of the Guards saw her and stopped dead. The other Guard turned around to see what was going on.

"I'm lost", Mei sobbed, "I want my Mommy!"

"Oh, hey", one Guard soothed, "It's okay. Don't worry. I'll take you back upstairs"

"This place", Mei continued as she rubbed her eyes, "It's too big! How do you _stand_ it? I just want my Mommy!"

"Don't worry, we'll get your Mom", the Guard reassured her. He paused and saw a small penny by her feet, "Hey, look - a penny! If you pick it up, you'll have good luck for the rest of the day"

Mei smiled through her fake tears.

"Yay! Can I have it?", she asked eagerly.

"'Course you can! Go ahead - pick it up!", the other Guard answered happily, hoping to lift Mei's mood - either that or their jobs. Mei smiled happily and slowly bent down to pick it up. The Guards were so transfixed by her charming attitude that they failed to notice Stan and Lindsay materialising from the darkness behind Mei.

"Hey guys", Stan said loudly. The Guards looked up and immediately attempted to jump into action but failed to do so as Mei ran out of the way and Stan and Lindsay fired endless bullets towards the Guards. Both Guards were hit numerous times on their backs and dropped to the ground.

"Heads up, guys", Tails said in the earpiece, "Some Guards nearby heard the action, you might get unwanted visitors soon"

"Thanks", Stan, "But first, I need to get Meg"

"She's down there, on the left", Lindsay told him. Stan ran down the small hallway and peered in every cell on the left-hand side. All of a sudden, Stan went very still, very quiet. He dropped his Laser Scope rifle, and hung his head.

"Stan?", Lindsay asked curiously. Stan didn't reply. Mei slowly reached out to hold Lindsay's free hand. Lindsay tried one more time, "Stan?"

Stan refused to look at her, his face screwed up. Lindsay marched towards him and peered into Meg's cell.

Lindsay gasped, horrified. She looked at Meg and then looked away, not knowing what to say. Meg lay in a curled heap on the floor, her left ear stained with dried blood. It seemed as though the Aspirin wasn't enough to cure her constant headache at the time, now that she lay dead before their very eyes. Just to make sure, Lindsay ran back and grabbed the keys to open Meg's cell and ran back to the cell. When she had unlocked the cell and reached Meg's body, she sat very still as she learned there was no pulse, and Meg's body remained cold and unresponsive.

"What… what happened?", Stan whispered, "What was wrong with her?"

"She started to complain about headaches", Lindsay whispered back as tears formed in her eyes, "And there's dried blood caked inside her left ear"

"Brain damage?", Stan suggested, "Haemorrhage?"

"Possibly", Lindsay's voice wobbled with emotion. Stan continued to stand very still, and suddenly grabbed his rifle with both hands.

"Motherfuckers!", he roared.

"Stan! They might hear you!", Lindsay protested, tears pouring down her face as she reluctantly moved away from Meg's body.

"I don't give a fucking shit!", Stan shouted, "How could they do this to her? Have they no fucking _sympathy_?"

"Stan, I tried my best - I made sure they gave her medicine", Lindsay protested and added unwisely, "These things just happen"

"So what you're saying is that what happened to Meg was _fair_?", he practically screamed. Mei covered her ears fearfully. Lindsay grabbed Stan's right shoulder with her free hand.

"What's done is done", she stated firmly, "If she was bleeding inside her ear, nothing could have been done about it. It was inevitable. I gave her enough medicine to last her a lifetime and if she…", she hesitated, "… if she's dead, there's nothing more we can do about it"

Stan stared back at Meg's unresponsive body, tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Stan", Lindsay coaxed, "Leave Meg to rest in peace"

He nodded and slowly walked away from the cell. The two female hedgehogs followed from behind. Stan wiped his face as he marched down the small hallway.

"Tails?", he croaked, "Where to now?"

"In-nfhbcusc -nsfwefvhwf", was his response.

"What?", Stan asked, "Tails, speak properly!"

* * *

"Aw, damn, damn, DAMN!", Tails shouted as he lost connection with the sonar earpiece. He watched with fear as his visual aid from Stan's earpiece became a static picture and eventually crackled to a blank screen on his laptop. Tails was unsure how it happened, but he knew that if he didn't get it fixed, the trio inside the building could be in mortal danger…

* * *

"Fuck!", Stan shouted, "I lost contact!"

"What, _seriously_?", Lindsay cried, "Bu-but where do we go from here?"

"Well, you should know, you've been here since Friday!"

"In _case_ you didn't know, Stan, I've been drugged up to my eyeballs since then, ex_cuse_ me if I don't happen to know my way around here!", she screamed. Mei surprised them all.

"Shut _up_!", she squealed. Both the adults silenced themselves. Mei looked at both of them longingly before continuing, "_I_ know where to go, so follow me!"

"Mei, don't be ridiculous, you've been with Tikal the entire time we've been here", Lindsay protested whilst rubbing her forehead wearingly.

"I _do_ know, honest I do!", Mei protested back, "On Saturday night when you were asleep I explored lots of different rooms and then came down here. I _saw_ a place where it leads you outside, so I_ know_ what I'm doing"

"But didn't the Guards get in your way?", Stan enquired.

"I was so quiet they didn't even see me", Mei announced proudly, "So, come _on_ and follow me!"

"That's my girl", Lindsay commented proudly and the three Mobians ran down the small hallway into a separate room which led them to an entirely different and secluded area. Lindsay couldn't help but notice that as they progressed their journey, the area was becoming darker and darker; so dark that she could barely see what was in front of her. Mei seemed to have a relentless happy attitude as she proudly led them down the room, not even scared over the possibility of anybody jumping out on them all. Even Stan seemed hesitant.

"Mei?", he whispered, "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course", she smiled. Lindsay relaxed, she could at least trust her daughter.

"We owe you our lives, sweetie", she smiled, "If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have even known about this place"

"Funny", said a voice in the shadows, "Neither would we"

"What the-", Lindsay began and reeled back with horror to discover there were a handful of National Guards appearing from the dark corners of the room… aiming at _them_! Stan peered at them helplessly and swayed on the spot, unsure how to react. Mei smiled suggestively at the Guards.

"Nice work, Ma'am", one Guard commented to Mei, "You can go now"

"Wh… _WHAT?_", Lindsay screamed, "You mean to tell me you _used_ my daughter to track us down?"

"On the contrary", Jet said as he came out of the shadows with his Wessom M76 Machine gun, "Mei voluntarily told _us_ about this"

"But how could she?", Lindsay demanded, "She's been with us the entire time!"

"She told us on Sunday morning, _you _on the other hand were somewhere else. She told us everything"

"Bu-but", she stammered and then looked at Mei, "Since when did you know about Stan coming here?"

"I phoned Meg's cell phone on Saturday night", Stan croaked, still stunned over the set-up, "I told Mei _not_ to tell anybody else but yourself"

"Why _didn't_ you tell me?", Lindsay demanded, looking at Mei.

"I didn't want to upset Daddy", she answered innocently, a smile pinned on her face.

"How…?", she stuttered, "He didn't even know about this! He's not even here!"

"I told him", Mei confessed, "He didn't mind but I don't want to upset him, so I told these nice men so that Uncle Stan was coming and they told me to come down here… so it's not _my_ fault that this is happening! The nice men told me they would organise a party down here for us all"

"Party my ass!", Stan shouted and held his rifle firmly, ready to shoot. But even Stan knew regarding weapons that he didn't stand a chance against the Guards and their weaponry choice. One bullet could put him out of his misery. One Guard held his arm out and nudged closer towards them.

"Mei?", he asked and looked at Lindsay, "Ma'am? Would you like me to escort you back upstairs, we don't want you to get hurt"

"Escort _this_!", Lindsay shouted and smacked the back of her weapon into the Guard's face, forcing to fall backwards onto the ground, blood gushing from his mouth, crying in pain. Stan immediately grabbed the Guard's machine gun and started to fire endless bullets at the Guards surrounding the trio. As a result, a bullet frenzy broke out in the room - here, there, and everywhere, leaving no safe places for Stan, Lindsay, or Mei except a lone table which Stan tipped to the side so that the surface of the table blocked out the bullets flying towards the trio. The two adults jumped, rolled, crouched, shouted and shot as best as they could as hundreds upon thousands of bullets shot in their direction. Stan managed to shoot a few Guards, but this was pointless as more and more Guards had appeared behind the deceased, armed and ready to attack. Realising he was running out of ammunition, Stan turned round to Lindsay.

"How's your supply?", he shouted over the gunfire.

"Not good!", she shouted back. She found Mei crouching in one corner of their small shelter, shaken with fear.

"I need to get her out of here, Stan!", Lindsay shouted.

"Good idea! Get moving, now!", he shouted back.

"But what about yourself?"

"Leave this to me", he yelled, "Just go! Get her out of this danger!"

Lindsay hesitated. She didn't want to leave Stan to fight by himself but on the other hand Mei desperately needed to get away from this macabre. She peeked over the corner of the upturned table. Several Guards crouched and aimed in their direction, ready to shoot.

"You may as well give up", one commented, "You're completely surrounded!"

"I got it!", Stan whispered to Lindsay, "I'll create a diversion, and you two get out of here"

"But what about you?", she whispered back, her heart thudding.

"Never mind me, when I create the distraction, I want you to run as fast as you can, okay?"

"But", she hesitated, "But you'll get hurt"

"_Very_ unlikely", Stan chuckled and revealed a grenade in his side-pocket. Lindsay looked at Stan. He looked back at her knowingly. She clutched Mei in her shaking arms, praying that everything would work out.

Stan took a deep breath and got out from their shelter, his hands behind his back, a defeated look on his face. The Guards still held their weapons but began to back away slowly as Stan moved towards them.

"I guess I'll have to admit it", Stan confessed, "I can't compete with you guys anymore. Hell, you can kick anybody's ass any day of the week"

"That's right, you're nothing but pathetic scum", One Guard smirked.

"So I'm gonna turn myself in, just to make things easier for you guys", Stan offered, "I'm all yours… but before I get turned in, I want to give you guys something"

"Oh yeah, what is it?", the Guard asked. Stan smirked and pulled the plastic ring off of the grenade. Lindsay eyed this moment and rapidly scrabbled to her feet with Mei tucked safely in her arms.

"A lively leaving gift", he stated and threw the detonating grenade at the crowd of Guards, which caused an uproar in the room.

"Holy shit - it's a _grenade_!", Guards howled and practically threw themselves into separate corners of the room, away from the small detonator. Lindsay sped out of the room back from where they entered, not daring to look back. It was only a matter of time before there would be an almighty explosion, deafening scream, and numerous lost souls.

Back in the room, Stan watched the screaming Guards who fought to stay away from the small grenade and knew that it was his cue to jump out of the room. Nobody dared follow him, and as planned, there was an almighty explosion that forced his body forward as he escaped back out of the room, burning the back of head but encouraging him to move forward and _not_ to go back.

Things were looking up. Until a thought crept into his mind when he ran back into the prison cells.

"Hold up", Stan said aloud, "If they planned this entire thing, did we actually kill those Guards at the patio?"

"Do you mean us?", a voice came from behind. Stan spun around and sure enough the Guards that were presumably killed at the patio were standing at attention with their guns. Stan stared at them, stunned. One Guard wipe the blood from his neckline and smirked at Stan.

"Fake blood capsules", he boasted, "The perfect camouflage"

"But", Stan stammered, "But we shot you!"

"Nice try", another Guard stated, "But we _do_ wear body armour, in case it slipped your mind"

_Fuck_, Stan thought. The Guards nudged closer to Stan. For once in his life, Stan was completely unsure what to do next. Beads of sweat began to build on his forehead.

"Your little game of Hide And Seek has gone far enough", the Guard threatened, "It's game over for you and your friends"

"Friends?", Stan croaked.

* * *

"Yes! Stan, can you hear me?", Tails cried into his own earpiece as the screen became animated once more. However, to his horror Tails learned that Stan was completely surrounded by Guards from what he could see.

"… and tell your friend that we left our own personal gift in your vehicle", he heard a voice say. Tails froze. _Personal Gift_?

Before he could barely breathe, an explosion erupted in the engine of the vehicle which expanded throughout the entire van; windows shattering into thousands of pieces, flames expanding and flickering around the fox, machines in the van malfunctioning and within seconds each machine in the van was destroyed entirely. He never stood a chance against the inevitable.

It was a shocking and unbelievable sight from Tikal's point of view. She knew what was happening and took great delight watching from afar inside the building, her eyes bright with happiness and a hint of malice.

* * *

"I can't _believe _you!", Lindsay screamed, "You _know _how much I want to get us out of here! How could you betray me like that?"

"I didn't mean to!", Mei howled, "I just did what Daddy wanted me to do! Why don't you understand what I mean?"

"Why don't you understand when _I _say that I want to escape from here?", Lindsay shouted, "Nobody listens to a fucking word I say around here!"

"Oh!", Mei squealed, "You swore!"

"You're fucking correct that I swore! And I'll swear even more if I don't leave this Hellhole!"

"Daddy said that nobody would get hurt", Mei wept, "I trusted him! I love my Daddy!"

"It's coming to the point", Lindsay said firmly, "That I can't even trust _you_"

Mei, stunned, stared at her mother, Lindsay stared straight back at her firmly. She had meant what she had said, despite how harsh the comment was. The two females continued to climb the crumbling stairs near the prison cells in silence. The two had heard the explosion from the grenade, but did not comment nor did they wish to go back to the horrific mess. Mei was about to about to apologise, when they felt somebody from behind tugging them back.

"Whoa, wait a minute", the Guard from behind demanded, "Where are you guys going?"

"None of your goddamn business!", Lindsay shouted. The Guard guffawed slightly.

"I've had enough trouble today", he stated, "And now I'm going to take you guys back to the King where he can deal with you both, okay?"

"No!", Lindsay screamed. The Guard grabbed a hold of her arm. Lindsay struggled frantically, shouting as she did so. Mei began to cry, scared of the fight that was occurring in front of her. The Guard gave her arm one final vicious tug, obviously very tired and frustrated over that night's event, which caused Lindsay to lose her balance on the crumbling steps. She cried out, tripping over her own feet and with Mei in her arms, she lost her balance, causing her to fall heavily into the Guard's arms. Taken by surprise, the Guard scuttled backwards, losing his balance on the crumbling steps, too. And with that, all three Mobians fell backwards down the hard, stony staircase; stumbling, scuffing, banging their bodies and heads against the hard grounds.

Lindsay felt extreme pain all around her body, and before she passed out, she felt two heavy bodies landing on top of her left leg, causing a painful sensation.

_Oh, my **fucking**__ leg!_, was her final thought.


	9. Misery

**Here we go, guys! Chapter 9!**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

He stared down at her. _She_ remained unresponsive, the cosy, feathery pillows and the soft mattress a haven for her beaten body. Flashing images of the previous night crept into her mind like an unwanted illness, but she refused to budge. _He_ continued to watch her like a hawk, furious over what had happened. Of course, Sonic had been away and he _knew _there would be trouble, but because of the trouble several troops had been severely harmed, damage had been done to the building, and his wife remained in her bed. Rubbing his forehead, he wondered how long he would be able to carry out this charade. Sonic knew that sooner or later Lindsay or Mei would suspect something was going on. Or maybe they _knew _something was going on and were planning to act viciously in the near future…? Nonetheless, _this _should put an end to their games. It _had_ to.

She shifted under the covers. She was awake! Lindsay moaned slightly as she stirred and opened her eyes blearily, peering into the sudden light around her. Suddenly, she felt dispassionate when she saw Sonic looking back at her, a relieved expression on his face.

"What?", she snapped.

"Well, you're alive", he commented, "That's good, right?"

"Mm", she murmured and knuckled her forehead to block out a headache, "I need to go to the bathroom"

Yet, when she tried to sit up, a heavy weight from the lower half of her body kept her down on the mattress. Confused, she tried again, but fell back down into the pillows. A sudden memory of her nightmare came rushing back, causing Lindsay to panic.

"No", she whimpered, "God, not again"

"Ah", Sonic commented, "That's what I was about to tell you. I'm afraid you can't get out of bed"

"What do you mean?", she snapped, "Of course I can"

"No", he answered in a firm tone, "You can't"

"What exactly is going on?", Lindsay demanded.

"Thing is…", Sonic paused before answering, "You've broken your leg"

"What?", Lindsay pulled the duvet back and sure enough there on her left leg was a thick plaster cast that covered her leg from her thigh to her foot. She stared at it helplessly. Was this all true, or just another big hoax? However, there was a pain coming from her left leg that she couldn't ignore.

"But… but", she whispered, "How can this be?"

"You fell down the stairs somewhere in this place and Martel landed on top of your leg, causing it to break", he explained.

"And Mei?"

"She's fine. Mei's got a bit of a sprained wrist but nonetheless she's fit and healthy"

"How do I know if you're telling the truth?", Lindsay suddenly asked as she attempted to sit up, "You could be lying"

"One minute", was her answer and Sonic left the room silently. There was a brief conversation outside the double doors but it was so far away from Lindsay's position that all she could hear were inaudible murmurs. Moments later, Sonic returned with a female hawk wearing a white coat and was holding documents in a small folder. Lindsay recognised her as the doctor who had examined her four years ago after Sonic had forced her back to the Palace. She tried to smile politely but she was so exhausted that she just sat back in the pillows, awaiting an answer.

"Hi, Lindsay", the doctor greeted her, "It's nice to see that you've recovered"

"Have I _really _broken my leg?", Lindsay jumped straight into the main problem of the entire ordeal. The doctor hesitated and clear her throat nervously.

"Yes", the doctor answered, "I'm sorry but I'm afraid that the impact that the Guard's body had when it landed on your leg had badly broken the bone"

"Don't worry, Linds, I suspended that idiot without pay for his stupidity", Sonic announced importantly in-between their conversation.

"So I'm afraid that you're confided to your bed for at least six weeks. After all, you need to rest your leg", the doctor concluded.

"I don't believe you", Lindsay insisted.

"Well that's up to you, but I've got your X-ray scans right here, so you can look at them at your leisure", the doctor persisted, and placed the documents beside Lindsay on the bed. Lindsay peeked into the folder and was stunned to find an X-ray of her left leg. On the scan, right in the middle of her leg, there was a white line that ran through her bone. She traced the white line with her fingers lightly. The document was genuine with the patient's name and reference numbers on the sheet; Lindsay really had broken her leg.

"Oh, God", she whispered and rubbed her eyes slowly to re-cap the predicament that she was in. The doctor had swiftly the left room, claiming that she had other appointments and that her patient with the broken leg should rest. Sonic was about to leave with her to discuss other matters when he suddenly heard behind him, "This is all your fault"

"My fault?", he stated, chuckling, "_I'm_ not the one who broke your leg!"

"No, what I mean is that it was your fault that we were ambushed!", Lindsay's voice raised, "It's _your _fault that you've indoctrinated my daughter-"

"_Our_ daughter", he corrected.

"_MY_ daughter!", she screamed, "And now I can't even trust her! I don't even know who she is anymore! It's all your fucking fault!"

"Hey, Linds, I told Mei that Stan could come over on Monday evening, I had no objections to that", Sonic smirked, "It's not my fault that she slipped the word out about it. I wasn't here, remember?"

She sat back, pondering. True, it really _wasn't_ Sonic's fault. It was really Mei's fault for being so innocent and naïve about the entire situation, and since she was obviously so excited about Stan arriving that she somehow told the Guards without realising the consequences.

"I suppose you're right…", Lindsay whispered.

"Yeah", he replied, "So don't consider me as some sort of monster, because for once I was not involved and I made sure that you got medical attention out of this. I could have left you to suffer in pain for all I had cared"

"Mm", was Sonic's reply.

"So it comes to show you that, in a sense, I actually do care about you. After all, Stan is a bad influence on you both", he stated and made his way towards the double doors of the room, "I'll be back in a minute. Don't go anywhere", and left the room with an amused chuckle escaping from his lips. Sonic met the doctor crouching over her equipment, a concerned look on her face. When the doctor saw him, she leap towards him and began to frantically whisper.

"I can't do this", she hissed, "I'm sorry, but this is too much for me to handle. I really can't go along with this!"

"Look", Sonic answered, "I know how pressurised you must be feeling because I'm going through the same thing, but I have an order to carry out, and if this is what's to happen, I'll make sure that it will go through without any hassles"

"Sir, this has gone too far!", the doctor hissed, "I agreed to play a small part of this… of this… monstrosity! But now it's getting seriously out of control!"

Sonic sighed impatiently.

"Do you want your money?", he asked suddenly, "Did I not pay you to carry this out until I would say so to stop?"

"Well… yes…, but-"

"Well, let's keep it that way", he insisted, "You keep examining Mei and make sure Lindsay stays put and I'll give you the money you need to keep your practice running, okay?"

"But you just can't endanger an infant's life and prevent the mother from stepping in, which she _should_ be doing, might I add… This _isn't_ right", the doctor persisted. Sonic revealed a small envelope and held it out to her. The doctor stared at it curiously.

"Go on", Sonic demanded, "Take it"

The doctor hesitated and eventually resisted. She took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a cheque. She saw the amount he was offering her and sucked in her breath.

"Come on", he coaxed, "You know you need it. You know you want it really"

"No", she whispered, "This isn't right… I _can't_ do this…"

"'Course you can", he persuaded her, "And here's what's _really_ going to happen - something that I didn't mention to you earlier…"

* * *

The frantic whispers continued outside the doors. Although she was far away from the door, the deadly silence in the room allowed Lindsay to gain an understanding over what was being said if she craned her head and ears forward as far as she could towards the doors. The majority of the conversation were murmurs, and out of the blue came the words: "_This isn't right… I _can't_ do this…"_

Lindsay frowned, confused. What was it that the doctor couldn't do…?

* * *

"That's sick!", the doctor recoiled, "I won't be involved in any part of it!"

"Look, what's done is done. I can't back out now", Sonic informed her.

"Even if _you _want to?", the doctor asked curiously.

"I can't let down hundreds of people; I have a country to think of, you know!"

"Be that as it may, you can't seriously expect me to carry on and pretend nothing is happening, do you?"

"If the money's really important to you, will you?"

"Sir", the doctor exhaled, "I found the idea of forcing a four-year-old girl to starve to death and lying behind the mother's back a monstrosity, but this… I-it's _horrendous_! How could you sleep at night?"

"Excuse me?", he fumed.

"Even though the money could be very useful for me and my patients, I can't go on like this! How could you not have told me beforehand?"

"Because like Lindsay, you would probably slip the word out before I would explain myself further. It's not _my_ fault that this is happening. If this is what the Foreign Commissioner and his people want, then it has to be done. I'm doing the best I can with the sources I've got and the spare time I can scrape together"

"I don't even believe that it's allowed nowadays!", the doctor hissed angrily.

"You'd be surprised. Many different cultures still believe in traditional values regardless of modern societies, and this one obviously does"

"Well, maybe so… but-"

"Listen, take it", Sonic insisted, "Take the money. And all you have to do is visit to perform regular check-ups on both of them, and let me know about their progress, and that's it. You don't have to say anything or do anything. Do we have a deal?", Sonic stood still, watching the doctor carefully. The doctor hesitated, folding and unfolding her arms randomly to help her think.

"If I do… nobody get's hurt… medically-speaking, I mean?", she asked.

"Nobody will get hurt, I promise", Sonic insisted and held one hand up as a gesture of reassurance and commitment. The doctor stared at him fearfully, thoughts buzzing in her mind… and she reluctantly held out her hand. Sonic shook her hand gratefully. He smiled, relieved. _At least I've got her trust_, he thought privately. The doctor paused.

"But I'll be allowed to interfere if anything bad happens to any of them?", she insisted, frowning.

"Of course. After all, you're the doctor, not me", Sonic smiled reassuringly.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…", the doctor whispered regretfully, pulling her hand away.

"You _won't _regret this!", Sonic grinned, content, "After this, you'll be the most famous doctor in this town ever!"

And _that_ was what the doctor feared most of all.

* * *

"We'll just tidy a few curls here…", Tikal murmured before sitting up happily, "And we're done!"

Mei opened her eyes. Tikal had combed her violet curly quills back in a neat, blue Alice hair band to match her pale blue dress. Even though she enjoyed spending time with Tikal, Mei was beginning to witness the tense atmosphere being created as time went by. She _knew _that something involving her was going on, she _knew_ that everybody was talking about her behind her back, but she couldn't confess her true feelings. The events which had occurred on Monday evening had frightened her and convinced her not to reveal too many secrets to _anyone_ on the Palace, even Tikal. Even Sonic.

"Tikal?", Mei suddenly asked, "Where's Uncle Stan?"

"Who?", Tikal asked, feigning ignorance.

"Uncle Stan, you know, the tall red bat that was here on Monday night?", Mei piped up as Tikal slipped two hairclips into her curls. She sensed Tikal pausing significantly and tensed.

"Never mind about that- that… _dirty bird_", Tikal commented, "Steve-"

"Stan", Mei corrected her.

"Whatever", Tikal snapped, "Stan is nothing but trouble. He was the reason behind all the ruckus on Monday night, so good riddance to him!"

"But Stan-", Mei began.

"Look, Mei", Tikal said in a stern voice, "Don't get involved with _dirty birds_ like Stan, because where does it lead you?"

Mei didn't answer, scared with Tikal's change in her nature. Tikal leaned forward towards Mei.

"_Trouble_", Tikal emphasised, "Look what happened to your Mom - she's got a broken leg and a poorly health, God help her. You don't have to worry; you're a lovely, bright girl with a lot of potential. You don't want to end up like your poor mother, do you?"

"Well… no", Mei pondered, her ears drooped slightly with sadness. Tikal stood up straight and smiled triumphantly.

"Well, there you go", Tikal concluded, "Don't get involved and you won't get hurt, young lady. After all, it isn't your place in society to be doing such a thing"

Before anything else could be discussed, there was a knock on the double doors of Mei's bedroom, Mei stared fearfully at the door, scared in case there would be another attack, or worse, any information regarding Stan. Mei feared the worst about what had happened to Stan, and silently prayed that he would be okay, or alive at the very least.

Tikal went to the doors and opened them. A maid was at the door and knowingly passed Tikal a small parcel, glancing at Mei for a split second. Tikal glanced inside the brown parcel and smiled delightedly.

"Ah, how wonderful!", she exclaimed, "Thank you so much!", and closed the doors on the maid outside. Mei frowned at the mysterious parcel as Tikal made her way towards her.

"What's in that?", Mei asked curiously.

"Never you mind!", Tikal stated, "It's none of your business, anyway. Besides, now that I have them, I can officially start"

"Start _what_?", Mei interrogated, suddenly wary on the situation. Tikal rummaged through the parcel and produced a black marker pen and printed pictures. She coaxed Mei into her small seat in front of her vanity table. Mei sniffed as Tikal focussed hard on one of the printed pictures, traced her finger up and down at one bit on the picture, frowned, and then opened the pen and targeted Mei's face.

"If I start around here…", Tikal murmured and made a black streak across Mei's cheek with the marker pen. It was a small marking but it terrified Mei nonetheless.

"What are you _doing_?", Mei cried, trying to get out of her chair. Tikal suddenly grabbed Mei's arm and kept a tight grip, pulling her back into the seat, "Tikal! Stop it!"

"Now, Mei, I need to do this for your father", Tikal firmly stated, "So please sit _down_ and let me do this!"

"But my face will get dirty!", Mei complained, "Stop it, Tikal! You're scaring me!"

Tikal looked at Mei's fearful state and felt sympathy for the small infant, knowing what was to happen to her in the near future. Mei began to cry, oblivious to Tikal's strange reaction. Tikal loosened her grip on Mei, bent down and hugged the small violet hedgehog.

"I know it's weird", Tikal explained, "But your father wants me to do this, and I can't ignore his orders. If I do, I'll be out of a job, and you could end up having an old woman with a moustache and a squinty eye for a nanny! Imagine!"

"Bu-but, it's so strange!", Mei sobbed, "What's going on around here? Why won't anyone ever tell me anything?"

"_Nothing_'s going on", Tikal smoothly lied, "It's like a game, Mei. Like face painting, you know? Have you ever had your face painted before, sweetheart?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"It's just like a face-painting", Tikal smiled, relaxed, "Only I need you to sit still and let me do this, okay?"

"And that's it?", Mei asked nervously, hovering in her seat.

"That's it", Tikal smiled, her smile stiffened. Tikal knew _this_ part was going to be difficult, but - damn it - she was going to get it done even if she had to force Mei herself. Yet Mei was one of those children who were restless and demanded to know everything that was going on around them. Well, there was only one solution to _that_…

"Hey, Mei", Tikal announced suddenly, "I almost forgot, you haven't had your dose today!"

"Yes I have", Mei answered, "I had it before breakfast this morning"

"No, you haven't", Tikal swiftly lied and her cheeks went red as a result, "That was medicine to make your wrist feel better"

"But it tasted exactly the same!", Mei protested, feeling the fatigue beginning to run through her body. Tikal shook her head and produced the small bottle of the Oil and a small plastic spoon out of her side pocket. Mei shivered as she saw the bottle opening and the dark, greasy contents pouring out into the spoon. She _knew_ what was going to happen next; she would feel exhausted, attempt to put up a fight but fail miserably, and then crawl back to her bed despite the time of the day.

"I don't want any", Mei snapped. Tikal's hand clutched the spoon fiercely, though her face remained calm and relaxed.

"You need your medicine, dear", Tikal insisted, "Take it"

"No!", Mei shouted, her energy draining. Tikal tried to push the spoon to Mei's mouth but it remained closed, with no sign of re-opening. Tikal lost patience. She grabbed Mei's nose with her other hand and cruelly twisted it. Mei cried out in horror and her mouth immediately opened because of the surprise and the pain. Tikal saw this as her opportunity and shoved the spoon in the small gaping mouth. Mei protested loudly and coughed and gagged at the disgusting taste in her mouth, the Oil easily slipping down her throat. She heaved loudly but the Oil didn't come back out her mouth. Mei looked fearfully at Tikal, Tikal smiled back at her.

"There", Tikal said, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"But", Mei stuttered, "But why…?"

"You need to respect and obey your elders, Mei", she replied smoothly, "Otherwise you will be punished, understood?"

"But, but you _hurt _me!", Mei cried, scrabbling away from Tikal, beginning to cry. Tikal knew what she did was wrong, but this made the procedure much easier…

"I know I did, and I'm sorry", Tikal smiled and bent down and hugged the sobbing child, "But you disobeyed me, and you needed to be punished. You've been bad, do you understand?"

Mei didn't answer. She stared at Tikal, her cheeks streaked with tears. Shocked, stunned. She was suddenly scared of Tikal, despite her gentle nature, and felt as though she couldn't trust her at all. Mei tried to peer at the printed pictures nearby but Tikal obscured her viewing by deliberately standing in front of her, refusing to budge and refusing to show Mei the pictures.

"Come on", Tikal soothed, "Let's go back to our face painting"

* * *

"Lunch", a voice announced from the doors of the room. Balancing a tray consisting of a big bowl of soup, two smaller separate bowls, and two spoons, Sonic paused and saw Lindsay regaining her position on the bed, sweat glistening off of her face. Something wasn't right. She seemed calm and relaxed when he had left her to it beforehand but it now looked as though Lindsay had been trying to get out of bed. Lindsay looked at him fearfully, as though she were a child who had been caught stealing cookies out of the cookie tin; he could do anything to her now that she was trapped with a broken leg.

"Something wrong?", he asked curiously, approaching her. She shook her sweat-stained head.

"No, why?", she replied and tried to sit up properly without much success.

"What were you doing?", he demanded to know. Shit. The sweat pouring off of her face and her shifty eyes were a complete give-away. True, she had tried to get away and out of the room but the process had been much longer and much more complicated than she had expected. The plaster-cast was too heavy for her to lift her leg off of the mattress, and the only progress she made from getting out of the bed was by rolling onto the side of the bed closest to her and accidentally slipping out of the bed, her broken leg remaining on the mattress. After many struggles and attempts to get out of the bed, Lindsay had to give up and admit to herself that it was impossible. Yet, surely a plaster-cast couldn't be _that_ heavy? She remembered when Dixie had broken her leg one Winter and how the group of friends went to visit her after Christmas with her gifts, and that she clearly recalled Dixie expertly getting out of her bed and into her wheelchair without too much hassle, despite her cast…

Sonic stared at her. She knew that he was going to get the answer out of her one way or another. Lindsay decided to come clean.

"What do you think I've been doing?", she snapped, "My leg is painful! I've been waiting for some medication, but nobody came. I was trying to get cosy. Where have you _been?_"

"I was busy. I thought somebody would have been to see you", he informed her, blushing slightly. Lindsay didn't _need_ medication, he knew that, but in order to pretend that everything was normal, he would have to play along, too. Lindsay wanted to use an excuse that would get him out of the way so that she could try to escape once more without being interrupted.

"God, it's been _awful_", she complained, hoping that her lies would distract him, "I tried to sit up and reach for the phone so that I could contact somebody, but it was impossible! You could at least get me a pair of crutches or a wheelchair so it would be easier for me to access other areas"

"Uh-huh", was her response as Sonic gave her a bowl of soup.

"Are all plaster-casts as heavy as mine?", she asked curiously, taking the bowl and a spoon. Sonic sat beside her and began to stir the contents in his bowl. He shrugged.

"It depends how badly broken your leg is", he lied, but then again Lindsay was quite naïve so he would easily get away with his lie, "I've never broken my legs so I wouldn't know"

"I suppose it was a stupid question to ask", she replied and delicately sipped the soup, "This is nice. What is it?"

"Chicken soup. Apparently it's healing", he answered back, stirring his soup but not eating it. Lindsay frowned at his new behaviour. It was clearly not like Sonic to be this unresponsive; usually at this moment of time he would be interrogating her more and teasing her sanity at the same time by mocking her, questioning her, invading her personal space… it would go on forever… but now she watched as he silently stared at his bowl, still not eating any of it, a solemn expression on his face. Lindsay panicked and spat the contents out of her mouth, assuming that it was drugged.

"It's not drugged, so eat it", Sonic stated firmly.

"What's up with you?", she finally asked.

"What do you mean?", he snapped, "I'm fine"

"Well, you're not torturing me after everything that's happened", Lindsay commented as she dared to sip the soup once more, "Clearly something's up"

He hesitated. She watched him curiously, swallowing nervously. Sonic sighed and sat back in the pillows. Lindsay was about to give up on a response and was about to question him about what the doctor was talking about that morning when they were outside the room when Sonic eventually found his voice.

"Tails is dead", he announced in a small voice, tears in his eyes, "I only just found out this morning".

Lindsay stared at him, not believing what she was hearing. The prepared question died in her voice. Sonic sniffed and rubbed his eyes fiercely with his hands. The two hedgehogs sat silently in the room, not knowing what to say. A friend had been lost, and they were both partially to blame for the predicament. _First Meg, then Stan, and now Tails_, Lindsay dared to think and she allowed tears to roll down her cheeks. There was an awful silence between the two hedgehogs.

"God", Lindsay whispered.

"I know", Sonic answered, "And it's all my fault"

"No, it's _my_ fault", she muttered, "If Stan didn't get involved in any of this, Tails would still be alive"

"Mm", Sonic shook his head, "It's really _my_ fault. I drove him away. If it wasn't for me, I would still have my best friend"

"What _did_ you do?", Lindsay dared ask. Sonic blinked and stared into space, the memories suddenly appearing in his mind…

* * *

"_That's trippin' man", Tails commented, "You've been fighting deadly machinery and robots for years, and yet Lindsay nearly killed you simply by running you over with a car", he chuckled, "That's quite ironic, really"_

"_Are you laughing at my expense?", Sonic slurred as he glared at the fox through his bruised eyelids. His life-support machine beeped, indicating that he was recovering. Tails's visit to the Hospital was very awkward and strange, as he did not know how to react to what had happened to his best friend. He was warned not to provoke Sonic in any way, so he was very discreet and quiet when he had arrived. Yet, all of a sudden within one sentence he had managed to insult Sonic. Tails looked at his friend who was confined to the hospital bed and nervously chuckled, assuming that Sonic was joking._

"_Dude, I was only joking", Tails commented, "I think this entire thing's gone to your head"_

"_What thing?", Sonic asked, exhaling and frowning briefly due to the pain he was under. Tails shuffled in his plastic seat, dreading to reveal what he thought._

"_Sonic", Tails finally admitted, "Lindsay's gone, just accept it. And if I'm completely honest, I think you were responsible for it all"_

"_What do you mean?", Sonic murmured as he attempted to sit up in his bed, "What do you mean responsible, Tails?"_

"_Well…", Tails took a deep breath, "Well, the whole thing was just creepy. You know, you sent, like, a huge number of troops who could have been used to battle and fight enemy troops in the war zones in the West, just to bring one girl back. No wonder she hid herself!"_

"_It had to be done", Sonic croaked, turning his head and hissing at the straining stitches that held together the huge gash on the back of his head, "If I allowed her to leave, then I would have had to abdicate my position. That was the order given from my father when he was still alive, and I had no choice but to follow it"_

"_Couldn't you have chosen someone else?"_

"_I-I", Sonic croaked, "I thought she wanted to be with me. I thought she had changed her mind and that she was happy to be with me. I would have happily given her anything she wanted, but…"_

_Tails gently patted his friend's clenched fist. Tears slowly slid down Sonic's face._

"_But she didn't feel the same way", Tails concluded, "Thing is, Sonic, I think you have a low self-esteem-"_

_Sonic suddenly glared at him._

"_I do not!", Sonic snapped. Tails looked at him sympathetically._

"_Yes", Tails commented, "Yes, you do. Remember when Chris and Cosmo were captured by the Metarex?* And how you suddenly lost your temper? Remember how you scared us?"_

"_**You**__ weren't there", Sonic muttered and focussed on the door opposite his bed, trying to distract himself from admitting the truth._

"_But Cosmo told me afterwards", Tails admitted, "And we agreed that you have an unusual sensitivity. Sonic… when things don't go your way, do you lash out?"_

"_That's none of your fucking business", Sonic snapped, fists clenching._

"_**Do**__ you?", Tails persisted. Sonic refused to answer straight away, closing his eyes slowly and breathing steadily. Tails waited a few moments and eventually said, "You need help, man. You need professional help"_

"_Excuse me?", Sonic suddenly cried, "Don't tell me how to live my life! I'm perfectly healthy and I don't need any help whatsoever", he curled back down under the covers, "Don't you have a computer to fix or something?"_

"_Look", Tails explained, "I know you want to be alone just now, but I'm always here for you if you need to talk, okay?"_

_There was a brief pause. Then Tails heard the sound of muffled sobs. He didn't dare pull the covers back to reveal the obvious, but he patted the shuddering heap._

"_I just wish she'd come back", whispered the heap under the blankets. Tails nodded with agreement. He, too, knew what it was like to lose somebody close; after losing Cosmo, Tails was sent to a psychiatrist to express his sadness. Even if it took him almost a year to recover, Tails knew the help was worthwhile._

"_Listen, Sonic", Tails said gently, "Help is out there. I know what you're going through is rough; trust me, I've been there before, but you will recover as time goes by. Now, I know this psychiatrist-"_

"_I don't need help", the heap whispered._

"_Sorry?", Tails asked. Sonic sat up angrily, fiercely rubbing his eyes._

"_I said I don't need help!", Sonic cried, "How dare you compare me to some lunatic who doesn't know how to control their sanity! I won't do it! I can take care of myself!"_

"_But there's nothing wrong with getting help-"_

"_I can take care myself, Tails!", Sonic insisted, "I don't need help! I don't need __**you**__!"_

_Tails was taken aback by his comment and stood still, like a statue. He stared at the battered, blue hedgehog and wondered if Sonic actually meant what he had said. Yet, he could tell by Sonic's threatening facial expression that he was speaking the truth. _

"_Get out of here, Tails", Sonic whispered, "Get out of my life. Like I said, I can take care of myself, and I don't need help from anybody. All I want to do is move on and start fresh"_

"_But, I'm your friend, Sonic"_

"_But even your against me. Everyone's fucking against me! You think you're so great with your advice and your help. But I don't need it. I don't need anyone. I'm fine just the way I am!", Sonic shouted._

_Tails hung his head, tears forming in his eyes. It was official, Sonic had lost his mind. There was no point trying to argue with him. Then again, if he wanted to start fresh, who was Tails to stand in his way like an unwanted reminder of his past and stop him? He stood up straight, breathing in deeply and exhaled slowly. Even though he was his best friend, Tails could see that Sonic desperately wanted to be alone. Possibly forever…_

"_Well, goodbye Sonic", Tails answered, "I hope you get help soon. I'll drop by to see how you're doing from time to time, if you don't mind"_

_When the two-tailed fox left the private room, Sonic laid back in his bed, running the entire conversation through his mind once more. He knew he would regret saying all of those things in the future, but funnily enough they were the appropriate things to say at that moment of time. He knew, deep down, that he had lost a good, caring friend. Sonic closed his eyes, tears sliding down his face again._

_What had he done?_

* * *

"… Tails was a man of his word and came to see me once in a while, but I was stupid enough to lose my temper and shout at him whenever he tried to help, you know, saying stupid, inappropriate things", Sonic choked on a sob, "And eventually we drifted apart. It was awful because we then had a huge fight and he claimed that I was crazy and that I deserved to be locked up in an asylum. That was about two years ago, and I never saw or spoke to him again"

"I'm… sorry", Lindsay whispered. He shook his head frantically.

"Don't feel sorry for me. I was stupid enough to drive him away. Oh, God, what have I _done_ with my life?", he cried hid his face in his hands. Lindsay stared at the hedgehog she had once feared and only saw a poorly person in need of help. She didn't know what to do or say. Lindsay had thought she was the only one who had suffered from all of the madness that had occurred between them, but now that she realised that Sonic, too, suffered as badly as she did out of all of this, she suddenly felt… _guilty_.

For the majority of the afternoon, the two hedgehogs cried and comforted each other companionably; expressing their sadness of Tails's passing and claiming to one another that it wasn't their fault, hugging each other reassuringly, and somehow through their moment of grief, actually beginning to learn and understand one another.

For at this moment, despite the distrust and the ordeals that both Sonic and Lindsay had endured through each others' company, they had unusually become closer to one another for the first time within years.


	10. Let's Play

**Hey guys, here's chapter 10!**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

"Ow!", Mei cried as she slipped on the carpet. She looked down and saw the black marker pen she had slipped on that Tikal had used to mark her face earlier that day, and sighed irritably. Some fun they had that very day! The marker pen had a very piercing smell, the whole procedure was long and boring, and for some odd reason Tikal took several pictures of Mei's painted face; asking her to move her head this way and that, fussing about the light in the pictures, scolding the child of she so much as blinked or yawned during the entire process… in all honesty, Mei's idea of fun was to go outside and enjoy the warm sunshine, not to be inside, exhausted and irritable the majority of the time.

"Tikal!", she shouted, "You left your pen in here!"

There was no answer from outside her bedroom. Mei was alone. She looked at the pen and then she noticed something sitting on her dressing table. Nervous, she looked around her in case somebody would jump out at her unexpectedly… and reluctantly made her way towards the object on her dressing table. Yet, it wasn't just any object, it was the printed pictures that Tikal refused to show Mei. Mei knew that Tikal was away to see if a visitor had arrived, so her time was precious. She grabbed the sheets and held them into the light, holding her breath. This was it! Her curiosity built, her expectations reached sky-high, he fingers trembling as she unfolded the sheets of paper and… and gasped with horror at the pictures, covering her mouth desperately to block her screams and horrified cries in the silent room, tearing her eyesight away from the revolting pictures. Then she dared to look at the pictures again. The pictures consisted screenshots of a 3D model of a female hedgehog's head, with portrait shots as well as side-shots of the face. However, that wasn't the most disturbing thing about the pictures, the… the marks on the face… were they…?

_Oh, God!_, Mei thought to herself and fearfully and slowly peered at her reflection in the mirror of her dressing table in front of her. She looked at the pictures once more. And then back at her reflection. The unbelievable became obvious. The pen markings on Mei's face were _exactly_ the same as the markings in the…

Suddenly, there were noises outside the room. Mei frantically put the sheets back onto the dressing table in their original position, scared in case she would be caught out. She slowly backed away from her dressing table and sat at the end of her large bed, carefully listening to the conversation taking place outside…

"So what have you brought?", Mei heard Tikal mutter outside the doors. There was a shuffle. And then another voice.

"I managed to get a sample of morphine. Your Doctor wasn't available to give us our usual prescription, so I managed to get a hold of this", she recognised that it was Vanilla's voice, "Do you think she'll take it?"

"Mei will take anything", Tikal boasted, "And once she's taken this stuff, she won't be able to stop us. I took some pictures and sent them via fax earlier on so everybody seems happy from what I know…"

The double doors of the room opened, and Tikal found Mei sitting at the end of her bed, a pained expression on her face. Tikal beamed at her and began to lay bags on the floor, chatting away as she did so.

"Okay, sweetie?", Tikal asked, "You remember Vanilla, don't you? She's the nice lady who's designing your dress"

"Oh yes", Mei replied shyly, "Hello Vanilla"

"Hi, Mei", Vanilla beamed, "Have you been taking your medicine?"

"Yes", Mei mumbled, not at all tired after taking a long nap that afternoon. She watched fearfully as Vanilla and Tikal produced small objects wrapped in bubble-wrap and placed them in front of the table, and then unpacked a handful of towels and placed them on the chair. Vanilla signalled Tikal with her eyes, and Tikal nodded and slowly made her way to Mei. She smiled knowingly.

"We've got something for you", Tikal smiled. Mei hesitated, and Tikal continued, "Remember when we were painting your face earlier on?"

"Yes?", Mei whispered. She couldn't help but watch Vanilla warily as Vanilla unpacked sharp objects and began to sterilise them with anti-biotic gel, attempting to look calm and collected.

"Well, we're going to do something similar, but we need you to take some medicine first, how does that sound?", Tikal asked, Mei shook her head.

"I'm fine, thank you", Mei stated firmly. Tikal shook her head slowly.

"You need this, Mei", she answered and produced a syringe containing a liquid inside from behind her back. Mei's eyes widened. She glanced fearfully at Vanilla and stared with horror at the sharp objects which turned out to be knives; glinting in the light, all different sizes, all sharp enough to cut skin.

_Her skin_.

"What are you going to do to me?", Mei whimpered.

"Just relax, Mei, and let me do this", Tikal ordered and suddenly lunged at Mei with the syringe. Mei screamed with fear and wriggled out of Tikal's tight grasp. She jumped off of her bed, dodged Vanilla trying to stop her from escaping. Mei ran out of the room, sobbing as she forced her legs to run faster down the long hallway, peering and searching for a good place to hide. She could hear Vanilla calling for her frantically from behind, but she couldn't waste her time. She needed to good hiding place, **now**. Mei ran down the hallway, and then took a left, and then took a right; therefore living in such a large building was an advantage for her in order to hide. Mei looked around desperately and reluctantly chose a door on her right and opened it without any hesitation and ran in. Slamming the door behind her, Mei pressed her back against the hard door and looked around in the room, her heart beating rapidly. Mei _knew_ what they were going to do to her, but, damn it, she was _not_ going to let them come near her!

She looked around the room once more. She was in what was supposedly a guest bedroom as it consisted with a double bed, a dressing table, a large, grand hinged mirror sitting diagonally in one corner and various furniture. It was impossible; there was no possible hiding place for Mei. If she so much as attempted to hide even under the bed, Vanilla would sniff her out within a second.

Mei's eyes scanned the room once more. _Unless…_

There was a knock on the door. Mei couldn't help but gasp out loud.

"Mei?", Vanilla's voice piped up from the other side of the door, "Are you in there?"

"No", Mei whimpered, tears pouring down her small face, her legs began to shake with fear.

"Let me in, Mei", Vanilla coaxed her and the knob of the door began to turn. Her heart beating loudly, Mei pressed her back fiercely against the door, struggling to keep Vanilla out of the room. She could sense Vanilla losing patience on the other side.

"Mei, this joke has gone far enough", Vanilla snapped, "Let me in, _now_!"

The struggling from the other side of the door stopped, indicating no activity from Vanilla outside the room. A disturbing silence followed. Mei dared to breathe out slowly, and quietly pulled herself away from the door.

But she knew that Vanilla wouldn't give up without a fight. She had to act immediately. Mei ran to the large windows of the room and reached for the lock on the windows. Damn, the lock was tightly secured! Her plan was ruined! Her small fingers scrabbled on the tight lock, struggling, pulling… and the lock opened with a flourish. Mei smiled triumphantly and pushed the window open as far as it would go, allowing a cool breeze to enter the room.

A knock on the door re-appeared. Mei froze, spun around to the door and held her breath.

"Mei? It's me, Tikal", Tikal said softly, "Listen, we can't force you to take this medicine, but you can't let your father down by misbehaving, can you?"

Mei walked away slowly from the windows, her eyes glued to the door. Praying. Fearing.

"All I want you to do is to open the door and let us in", Tikal coaxed, "And we can come to an agreement, what do you say?"

Mei remained silent, making her way towards her hiding place.

"Mei?", Tikal tried once again, "Mei, open the door, now!"

The doorknob rattled and turned. Mei scrabbled to her chosen destination and positioned herself so that she was invisible to the Mobian eye.

As the door opened slowly, Mei closed her eyes tightly and prayed for her soul, hanging on for dear life.

"Mei?", Tikal's soft voice called out, "Mei?"

_Don't let them find me!_, Mei thought desperately, sweat beginning to form on her small forehead, _Please, God, don't let them find me!_

* * *

There was nothing like a glass of imported fruit juice to cure a migraine. Sonic sat back and nursed his sore head whilst he listened to his echidna friend on the other end of the phone criticise him. He felt terrible, but Knuckles's comments seemed to make it a lot worse for the both of them. How he badly wanted to end the phone call and sit down and consider his remaining options, but would he be considered as the brave man out of the two of them if he did…?

"You just couldn't resist, could you?", Knuckles sneered, "Something doesn't go according to your plans and you just _had _to do something about it that would affect everyone, am I right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about", Sonic insisted, "All I'm telling you is that Tails is dead; like any other friend would do"

"Don't talk shit, you stupid bastard", Knuckles snapped, "How could you do that to one of your closest friends, you sick, twisted… bastard?"

"_I_ can't help it if others interfere in my life, if they rudely intrude I would obviously do something about it to get rid of them, especially when they won't leave me alone!"

"Aw", Knuckles answered sarcastically, "So, what happened, then? Did poor old Sonic throw a moody because one person got in his way?"

"If you must know, I wasn't there when it happened, so you can get that idea right out of your head!"

Knuckles snorted rudely on the other end of the call.

"It's got _you_ written all over it!", Knuckles remarked, "I told myself that you've had a difficult past, but… _Jesus_… I'd never thought that you'd do something like this… Tails was right; you deserve to be locked away forever!"

"Are you questioning my authority?", Sonic fumed, clutching his glass of fruit juice.

"Authority?", Knuckles smirked, "_Authority_? Oh yeah, you have the money and the power, but are these things really making you and your loved ones happy? _Are_ they?"

"Well, Mei's doing okay, but-"

"Okay. Mei. That's one. _Just_ one", Knuckles persisted, "So, who else?"

Sonic remained silent, rubbing his forehead. He didn't need to continue.

"Look, the whole idea out of all of this was to get Lindsay back. And now that you have her back, why do you go to extreme lengths to keep her when she obviously wants to leave?"

"I…", was Sonic's best answer.

"You have no idea, do you?", Knuckles sneered, "And let me ask you this; if she's back with you and has all these wonderful possessions and a huge amount of wealth and her life is as easy as shit, is she _really _happy?"

"Well, she-"

"_IS she_?"

Again, there was a silence. Knuckles spoke once more.

"You used to be cool, man, because you cared about other people but nowadays you only care about yourself, and as a result your close loved ones suffer the most", he commented, "But the real question is, are _you_ happy, Sonic?"

Sonic sat back in his chair, tears forming in his eyes. _My life is such a mess_, he thought loudly to himself.

"Are you?", Knuckles persisted continuously. He closed his eyes. Something had to be done. He had a choice either to make a difference now or forever regret it.

But what to do…?

"I need to go", Sonic suddenly announced, "It was nice speaking to you, Knucks. Let's not leave it too long next time, okay?"

"I see", Knuckles guffawed, "Running away from the truth, are you? That is so typical-"

"I'll keep you up-to-date with everything that's happening, man", Sonic concluded immediately, "I have to go… Are you free the 22nd?"

"Why?"

"We're having a formal get-together. Bring some friends, if you like", Sonic was desperate to end the disturbing phone call, "But I really need to go now, I'll see you then?"

"Sonic, do you ever read the Bible?"

"Why?", Sonic asked, bemused. He wasn't exactly the religious type, after all.

"Have you ever heard the expression, 'Unto others the way you would want them to unto you?'"

"Your point being?"

"There's a good message behind it", Knuckles concluded, "Think about it. Get help"

And with that statement , the conversation died as Knuckles ended the phone call. Sonic shut his cell phone and threw it to the other end of the room. Knuckles was right; Sonic _wasn't _happy. He thought that bringing Lindsay back into his life would have solved his problems, but in return _nobody_ was happy, and he felt more and more depressed and harassed as each day went by. He had been much better off before he had bumped into Lindsay once again. At least at that point he had done no harm to anyone else but himself.

Sonic caught his reflection on the screen of his open laptop. Did he _look_ any better? His complexion consisted of nothing but a pale face with dark smudges under his eyes; after everything that had happened, he had become too stressed to sit down or even eat anything. What had become of him? Was it true that he was losing his sanity bit by bit?

"You need help", he whispered to his reflexion. Realisation hitting him, he repeated his statement louder and clearer, "You need help, Sonic. And you will get proper help this time"

But what to do first was the most important stage of moving on. A sudden thought came to his mind. He recalled the pain and torture that both Lindsay and Mei had suffered - and most probably _were_ still suffering - whilst they were there. The horrible reason behind all the macabre was becoming too much for Sonic to handle, forcing him to pull out his chequebook and scribble a donation onto the lines on the small slip. Sonic paused and looked at the cheque. After the two hedgehogs had finished mourning over Tails earlier that day, they shyly confided within one another about their reaction to the news and compared happy memories of their friend before gradually talking about their childhoods and their predicaments in their lives. Lindsay had even explained how difficult her life had become after Mei was born, carefully avoiding any circumstances that involved Sonic himself. Of course she would rebel - who wouldn't? - but it resulted in her being even more imprisoned, leaving her feeling isolated and confused. And as for Mei? The poor girl was such an innocent little thing, and her entire life was going to turn for the worst…

The money was enough. More than enough for Lindsay and Mei to buy a house. Not just any house, but a decent, private property with sufficient security and enough left over to cover necessities such as food supplies, clothing, and maybe a pet if Mei wanted one. And if they had financial problems? He would cover it no problem. Just as long as they began a new, comfortable life without him interfering, that was all that mattered.

Now all her had to do was get the two girls together, produce the cheque, explain _everything_ that had being going on behind their backs, wish them all the best, and allow them to leave… before it was too late.

First, Sonic had to get a hold of Mei. Mei was the one he was concerned about the most, and if he didn't intrude in time drastic consequences would soon follow. He immediately left his study, the cheque in his hand, and made his way down towards Mei's room. With any luck, he would be able to stop the horror just in time.

* * *

The door opened. Her viewing obscured, Mei was unsure who had entered the room as she clung to the back of the mirror with all her might, her legs tucked up and her feet perched against the carved design of the back of the hinged mirror, sweat glistening on her small face. Mei was losing grip on the mirror as her fingers frantically clung to the glazed wood, her heart beating rapidly, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"Mei?", a voice called out softly, almost threateningly. Mei shut her eyes fearfully, knowing that if she so much as relaxed she would lose her grip and fall to the floor, exposed to her captor. Footsteps approached towards the mirror… and stopped. Mei whimpered as silently as she could as she craned her ears to listen out for any disturbing sounds. She began to tremble, suddenly aware that the hinged mirror Mei clung to had began to lose its balance and rocked backwards slightly, a small groan escaping the old hinges.

This was it. The predictable action from the mirror was a dead give-away. Mei could sense it. She was about to be caught…

And then something surprised her.

"_Shit_!", her captor hissed angrily, "Vanilla, she's jumped out of the fucking window!"

"Are you _serious_?", Vanilla cried and both of the captors ran to the open window, peering out of it and arguing over the possibilities that could have occurred whilst they were outside the room. Learning that the other captor was Tikal, Mei dared to open her eyes and poked out only her head from her hiding place and peered into the gloomy room. Vanilla and Tikal continued to argue, unaware that Mei was watching them both.

"Oh, this is great!", Tikal snapped, "_Great!_ We're going to get it for sure! Do you realise how pissed off Sonic's going to be when he finds out?"

"Tikal!", Vanilla snapped back, grabbing Tikal's shoulders and shaking her sharply back and forth, "Everything's going to be all right! She can't have gone far because…"

Mei couldn't make out what Vanilla was telling Tikal, but she was mouthing something to the echidna, signalling towards the mirror. Mei quickly ducked behind the hinged mirror once more and listened carefully, fear invading her thoughts.

"She's probably ran out of the room when we've been here at the window", Vanilla clearly announced, "Come on, let's go and see if she's in the hallway"

"Agreed", Tikal accepted. Mei closed her eyes, tears of fear and relief escaping as she firmly gripped the corners of the mirror with her tiny hands, her sweaty hands threatening to lose their grip on the mirror altogether. She could hear footsteps rapidly running towards the door and then the sound of closing doors echoed in the silent room, indicating the two womens' departure. Mei breathed out slowly, knowing that she had been successful.

She slowly and gently loosened her clammy grasp on the mirror and eased her bent arms so that her toes reached the hard floor at long last, relief flooding through her arms after remaining in the same, uncomfortable position for what seemed like a lifetime. Now that Vanilla and Tikal were gone, Mei could then run for her life without being caught… for the time being. But for now, her only option was to run as quickly as she could and try to escape.

Mei climbed out from behind the hinged mirror… only to meet Tikal's fierce clutches waiting for her from the other side of the mirror. She tried to scream loudly, but Tikal's free hand desperately covered Mei's tiny mouth, preventing any sound from escaping. Mei attempted to struggle away from Tikal, but Tikal kept a firm grip on the violet hedgehog, preventing Mei from escaping.

"Let me go!", Mei howled, wrestling Tikal's firm grip. Tikal remained aloof.

"Vanilla, give her some tranquilliser", Tikal instructed the rabbit. Vanilla produced a syringe and grabbed Mei's right arm fiercely and straightened the skinny arm, and quickly injected the tranquilliser into Mei's upper arm.

"You can't _do_ this!", Mei cried.

"We can and we will", Vanilla answered firmly and then turned to Tikal, "Does she need the morphine?"

"No", Tikal answered, "She'll be out cold. Leave it"

"Okay, let's go", Vanilla announced and left the room. Tikal looked down at Mei. Mei could feel a very strange sensation running through her body, something much more powerful than the Castor Oil had ever been. She could feel her limbs becoming unresponsive, her conscience becoming a haze, her eyelids becoming very heavy. It was all too quick for her. She no longer had the power to fight back.

"This is wrong…", Mei slurred, her mind spinning out of control.

"You're going to be asleep for a while", Tikal informed her firmly, "And when you wake up, we'll have a little chat about little _rats_ who try to run away, understand?"

Mei suddenly didn't care that Tikal's last statement was a threat. She was too tired to care about anything.

And everything went black.

* * *

"Tikal!", Sonic shouted, "Damn it, where is she?"

"She's over there", Jet answered nearby as he stood at his post. Christ, only a few weeks into his job and Jet had been seriously regretting agreeing to apply in the first place. Sonic peered at him angrily, and back to where Jet was referring to.

"Where?", Sonic snapped, "I don't see them!"

"They walked past a few minutes ago, Sir", Jet answered.

"_They_?"

"Yes, there was a female rabbit and your daughter who was with her"

"_Why_ didn't you stop them?", Sonic practically screamed. Jet frowned with confusion.

"What do you mean? What have they done?", Jet questioned the blue hedgehog.

"Oh, never _mind_!", Sonic snapped and rushed down the hallways until he recognised a female echidna talking sharply to an older female rabbit. They feigned ignorance by ignoring his presence and frustration behind their backs.

"Tikal!", he called out and caught up with her, "A word, if you please"

"What is it, Sir?", she asked timidly, "Whatever's happened, I'm not to blame. I'm sure Jet the Hawk knows who's been raiding the pantry, if you ask me"

"What?", they could hear Jet exclaim angrily.

"Not about that", Sonic answered despairingly, "It's about… you know…"

"Ah!", Tikal answered, her eyes gleamed knowingly, "Well, we _do_ have a problem. Mei hasn't reached the targeted weight, so I'm not so sure if the Commissioner will be happy with that, but we can come to an agreement-"

"It's over", Sonic stated firmly. Tikal gawped with disbelief. No… he couldn't have meant it…

"What?", she dared whisper. Sonic stood with his arms folded.

"I've come to my senses and I'm forbidding this from progressing any further", he explained, "I don't care what the consequences are, I simply want to end this _now_"

"Bu-but you can't be _serious_!", Vanilla cried, "After all the work we put into this?"

"I _am_ serious and I _am _putting an end to this horror", Sonic snapped, "This is inhumane and barbaric! And I've decided to let my wife and my daughter leave and begin new lives"

"A-and yourself, Sir?", Tikal asked timidly, clutching Mei's lifeless body in her arms.

"I'll be fine, but I can't move on unless I do this first. It's my decision and if the Foreign Commissioner and his people don't like it, then that's their problem", Sonic informed the two women and reached out with his arms suggestively, "Now hand me my daughter"

"B-but this can't _be_", Tikal cried, the colour on her face vanishing, "You told us to do this and now… and now…"

"Give. Me. My. Daughter", Sonic ordered firmly and reached for his daughter. Tikal remained lifeless and allowed Sonic to take Mei, a confused and horrified expression on her face.

"Look, can't we reach an agreement?", Vanilla suggested timidly. Sonic shook his head.

"Absolutely not", he spat and peered at Mei in his arms, "Is this child _drugged_?"

"Well… yes", Vanilla whispered.

"What did you use?", Sonic demanded. Vanilla trembled as she cleared her dried throat.

"It was a tranquilliser", Vanilla croaked.

"And did you prescribe for it?"

"Well, no… actually we found the medicine online. Don't worry - it's legal in many states!"

"But is it legal _here_?", Sonic demanded to know, his voice rising, his anger increasing. It was a wonder he didn't suffer terribly from high blood pressure. Tikal shook her head bravely.

"We didn't check", she whispered.

"This is a fucking outrage!", Sonic shouted, "The original medicine we got was at the very least safe and legal, but no… _no_… you just _had_ to take it too far! You might have endangered her health much more than we have already done! Mei could die, for fuck's sake! That's it! I'm _definitely_ finishing this monstrosity! Consider yourselves redundant!"

"You can't fire me!", Tikal shouted, "I was forced to work behind all of this and I won't let _anybody_ get in my way to mess things up!"

"Just watch me!", Sonic shouted back and ran down the hallway with the small hedgehog in his arms. Jesus, Mei looked terribly ill and it was all of his fault. If Lindsay found out and refused to speak to him ever again, Sonic wouldn't blame her at all.

As he turned a corner with his daughter in his arms, Sonic's face came into contact with the back of Jet's machine gun. He dropped down onto the ground in pain, clutching his cut lip and broken nose with one free hand. What was with people and their obsession to break his _nose_? He peered at the red blood on his glove and peered at the troop, whom he thought was useless and inexperienced the majority of the time, kneeling down and looking down at him with disbelief and dismay.

"We knew that you would try to stop us at some point during this process", Jet explained calmly, "When you were away, the Foreign Commissioner visited us and informed the staff to make sure the procedure took place, and to stop you if you so much as intervened"

"How _dare_ you try and stop me!", Sonic roared through his bloody lips, "This had nothing to do with you!"

"Yes it did", Jet answered, "The Foreign Commissioner knows what you're like - Hell, _everybody_ does - and we all knew that you would have second thoughts and try to step in, so what were we to do if our country's power and defences were threatened? We were doing what was best for everyone here"

"How _could_ you try to work against me?", Sonic shouted, "May I remind you who I am, or are you just plain ignorant?"

"Why", Jet replied, "The Foreign Commissioner, and ourselves, see you as our reliable and only source… our _bait_… and nothing else", Jet stood up and nodded at the troops behind Sonic, "Get him out of here"

Tikal retrieved Mei and ran back down the hallways, terrified she would be stopped once again. After all, she had a job to do - the most important job of all out of all of the mission. The other troops began to drag Sonic away, able to withstand his fierce struggles to escape their firm grips.

"Get off of me, you fucking _monsters_!", Sonic shouted, which resulted in one troop striking Sonic's stomach with the back of his rifle, instantly winding the blue hedgehog.

"You can't… you can't…", Sonic wheezed, weakening with pain. Jet stared nonchalantly at Sonic.

"You had a choice, Sir", he called out to him, "You were either with us… or against us"

* * *

After what seemed like forever, the troops dragged Sonic down the hallways, down the crumbly steps and into the infamous prison cells, which had become more of an eyesight after the grenade explosion that occurred several days beforehand.

"I hope you like your roommate", one troop commented as they through the blue hedgehog into the cell and firmly secured and locked it, "I have a feeling you'll both get on like a house on fire"

"What makes you think that you'll get away with this?", Sonic spat, "Eventually you'll have to let me go, and then what will happen to you when you let me out?"

"Oh, don't worry", the other troop commented, "Once this has all been approved, the Foreign Commissioner will - technically - be in charge of the country and its' power. One false move, hedgehog, and you'll have nothing. And then what would you do?"

Sonic continued to glare at him. The troop was _right_, what would he do? Would he be overthrown from his position if he failed to protect his country and the economy? He _did_ need the Foreign Commissioner's resources to prevent _that_ from happening. Sonic was trapped. _Now I know how Lindsay had felt when I forced her back here four years ago_, Sonic thought privately to himself, _God, I feel like a monster…_

"Sweet dreams, guys", the troop smirked and the two troops left the cells without so much as a backward glance. Sonic glared at the back of their heads until his eyesight blurred, wiping the blood from his nose with his hand. He heard a groan of dismay escaping from behind him.

"God", the voice remarked rudely and viciously, "You have _got _to be fucking kidding me!"

Sonic turned round to see who this rude Mobian was and stopped on his tracks when his eyesight fell on the imprisoned Mobian. Indeed, not even Sonic would have expected this.

There, crouched on the floor, leaning against the bars, staring straight back at Sonic was Stan; his posture damaged and poorly, his face severely bruised, his lips swollen and bloody, but what Sonic couldn't help but notice was that Stan's eyes were filled with hatred… and _revenge._


	11. Dangerous Games

**Chapter 11, guys! Sadly, my updating will becoming less frequent in the next couple of weeks because I have to get ready for college/uni, so I'll update whenever possible :)**

**Enjoy!**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

The two Mobains stared at each other in a disturbing manner. The silence in the room was so quiet that it was almost deafening for Sonic. Stan paused slightly and slowly stood up, his fierce gaze on the blue hedgehog. Sonic understood Stan's movement and began to slowly back away, his arms held out in self-defence.

"Stan", Sonic eventually murmured, "I…"

"No need to say another word", Stan remarked, slowly walking towards Sonic, "I understand what's going on…"

"Oh, yeah?", Sonic answered back nervously, "What do you know?"

"It's not as if I'm blind", Stan remarked, "You came down here to finish me off personally, didn't you?"

"_What_?", Sonic exclaimed, "Seriously, what gave you that idea?"

"You brought chaos into our lives", Stan answered solemnly, "You sent your men… You questioned our sanity… You killed Meg…", Stan paused as tears rolled down his bruised face, "… You caught me in the act… arrested me… beat me to a pulp… and I-I sometimes told myself that it couldn't get any worse than things are at the moment, but now that you're here - well - it just screams a conspiracy; an _ambush_ that's been set against me… am I right?"

"Stan", Sonic attempted to reassure the red bat, "Despite what you may be thinking, I am _not_ plotting against you. I'm being honest; I've _changed_. Stan, you've got to believe me"

"Thing is", Stan whispered, "How can I believe you at all?"

"Wh-what?", Sonic stammered stupidly, "Do y-you think that I would stupidly allow myself to be locked in a cell? I-if it were up to me, I'd have Guards coming down to drag you out of here and reported to me immediately if I wanted to shoot you or whatever-"

"Then why are you here?"

"I… I…"

"Exactly", Stan spat, "You can't give me a good explanation. God, I thought people in asylums were crazy enough but you've taken madness to a whole new level; you're more fucked up than I'll ever be!"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me", Sonic explained.

"Try me", Stan answered. Sonic breathed out slowly and slumped against the bars behind him, unable to look straight into Stan's eyes.

"I had a visit from the Foreign Commissioner a few weeks ago", he began, a solemn expression on his face, "And we had a few… disagreements so I… I… offered him Mei"

There was a terrible silence in the small cell.

"Excuse me?", Stan asked, as if he didn't hear Sonic properly the first time.

"I offered him Mei", Sonic repeated, "And he accepted"

Again, another silence remained in the room until it was broken by the sound of Stan laughing nervously.

"Th-thank God!", Stan exclaimed, still chuckling, "For a moment there I thought you were going to say something worse like sell Mei into prostitution o-or test illegal drugs on Lindsay or something like that. Bu-but…", the realisation hit Stan. His eyes filled with hatred, "Wait a minute - you don't mean _offer_ as in…?"

"What?", Sonic asked. The idea came to his mind and he spluttered with disbelief, "Oh, God, no! Not in that way! No. No, no, no"

"So what did you mean by that, then?", Stan demanded, "'Cause if you don't tell me, you bastard, I'll fucking kill you!"

"The Foreign Commissioner owns a large amount of land from the East", Sonic explained, "and the majority of the population still refer to their own Religion where there are many cults that believe in sacrifice and in many cases it controls the way their communities live and think"

"So what you're saying is-is…", Stan paused, "… they might kill Mei?"

"They might", Sonic lied, knowing that the truth was _far_ more horrific than what Stan suggested, knowing that should the truth be revealed, Stan would _definitely_ turn on him and kill him. Yet, since Stan seemed to believe what Sonic was telling him, Sonic decided not to be too truthful. Either that or his life.

"Jesus…", Stan whispered and turned away, ruffling his hair with his left hand. Sonic breathed out with relief, knowing the worst was over.

Or was it?

Stan suddenly spun around and marched towards the Blue hedgehog with a furious expression on his face.

"Why did you _do _that?", Stan screamed, "What possessed you, you stupid fuck?"

Stan lunged at Sonic and punched him hard on his stomach. Sonic cried out and doubled over as Stan then rammed his right knee into the same spot, causing Sonic to have problems re-gaining his breath.

"Ugh!", Sonic cried out painfully, "Okay, I admit it, I had that one coming"

"No", Stan remarked angrily, "You forgot this one!", and viciously punched Sonic's jaw, forcing Sonic's head to swing backwards and smack against the bars. Hard.

"Ugh, alright, fine", Sonic mumbled as he clutched the back of his head, "I deserved that… but you've stopped now, right?"

"Oh no", Stan smirked, "I'm only just getting warmed up, Hedgehog. I've let you fool me once before… but now we're playing a different game… and this time _I _make the rules!"

Sonic groaned, pain throbbing throughout his body. He knew he was in for a rough night ahead of him. Then again, surely Stan can't be _that_ angry with him? Stan knew what he would be getting himself into messing about with Sonic, so in a sense it was his fault, too.

_Well, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't_, Sonic thought to himself as Stan kicked him in a blood-thirsty manner. Perhaps if Sonic allowed himself to be beaten for a short period of time he would be able to allow Stan to calm down and explain his plan without being disturbed by violence.

* * *

She waited until her timing was accurate. The maid reached the doors which exited the room to which Lindsay announced loudly and clearly: "I need to go to the bathroom"

The maid sighed whilst balancing the linen sheets in her hands. It was obvious that Lindsay was testing her patience.

"Can't it wait, dear?", the maid suggested, "I'm just going downstairs with these sheets and I'll be right back. Can you wait until then?"

"No, I can't", Lindsay snapped. After all, if the staff were aloof and unfair towards her, why couldn't she return the favour and be rude back to them? The maid stood, sighed again, and walked back to the bed where Lindsay lay, captivated, and placed the sheets at the end of the bed whilst Lindsay complained once again.

"It would be a lot easier if I had a set of crutches to help me move about", Lindsay continued, "That way I won't disturb you and I would have a lot more freedom around this place"

"Uh-huh", the maid answered as she stepped behind Lindsay and slid her hands into Lindsay's armpits to pull her up from her position. As she did so, Lindsay could feel the relief running through her left leg. She couldn't recall how long her left leg had been asleep for, as she had spent her time exercising her right leg instead by moving it about and bending it in a rhythmic fashion. She shuddered as she felt a sensation running through her left leg that felt like pins and needles. The maid coaxed her to move forwards towards the bathroom, at Lindsay's side in case Lindsay lost her balance and fell. It seemed like a lifetime until they had reached the bathroom considering the heavy plaster cast.

"I'll leave you to it", the maid announced, "I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm sure you can manage on your own"

"I'm sure I will", Lindsay answered, "Thanks"

The maid left, leaving Lindsay to struggle positioning herself on the toilet. As she relieved herself, Lindsay looked at her left leg curiously. There were red rashes beginning to form around the edges of the cast where she had itched mercilessly and scratched at her skin until she bled. Once again, Lindsay pulled up her trouser leg, reached out and scratched the area around her ankle, hissing at the stinging sensation. It had been a few days since she had learned that Tails was dead, and it left Lindsay feeling as though she had properly communicated with Sonic for the first time since… well, _ever_. But it wasn't as if she was ready to share _everything_ with him, it had only been a close moment for the both of them. The difference that time was Sonic didn't threaten or intimidate her in any way; he was - dare she say - _normal_.

"If Sonic was able to act like that all of the time, we would get along better", she muttered madly and stood up slowly from the toilet and flushed. Lindsay balanced herself and tried to calculate how long it would take her to reach the sink and back to the door. She hobbled towards the sink nearby, aware of the heaviness of her plaster cast and took several breaks to re-gain her balance and her breath. Without warning, Lindsay accidentally slipped on the bathroom tiles and toppled to her left, smacking her broken leg against the edge of the large, gleaming bathtub. Expecting pain to roar through her system, Lindsay shut her eyes and held her breath… only to realise that there was no pain from her leg. She struggled to sit up and when she peered down at her left leg, she was surprised to see a large crack along the plaster cast. Curious, she gently tugged at the broken plaster and separated the cast until it split into two pieces from her thigh to her ankle. Lindsay tore the plaster apart and stared at her leg.

And that was what freaked her out. Her leg did not stick out weirdly. Her leg had no obvious bones sticking out in any place at all. She stood up, testing her left leg as she shifted her weight onto it. No pain. Lindsay breathed in slowly and gently began to walk towards the sink.

There was no pain. There was no sounds indicating bones breaking under her skin. She realised that her pace and movement was completely back to normal; no complications, no pain.

Her leg wasn't broken, after all.

_Her leg wasn't broken_.

Oh, _why_ didn't she realise this before? If there was no pain during the aftermath of a broken bone, surely something had to be wrong or suspicious about the entire situation? Lindsay smacked her forehead with the palm of her right hand. The plaster cast was quite thick, so she must have made a severe collision against the bathtub if it had broken into pieces. Perhaps the material wasn't _that _strong but was heavy enough to stop Lindsay from trying to run away...

"How could I have been so _blind_?", she hissed angrily, "It's obviously a ploy to stop me from interfering in something! And no doubt Sonic is behind all of this fucking mess!"

So much for building trust and understanding between the two hedgehogs. Lindsay growled angrily and fantasized of the many ways she could get her revenge on the blue bastard. Of course, a broken leg was the perfect alibi to keep her out of the way in whatever he was planning. She was going to get him; _kill_ him even!

"Are you decent, miss?", a voice piped from outside the bathroom. Lindsay gasped and grabbed the cast desperately, wrapping the broken cocoon over her left leg and frantically pulled at her left trouser leg, hiding the broken cast. If they wanted to play games with her, she might as well play along, too… and attack them when they least expect it. She tugged at her trouser leg until it fully covered the broken plaster cast, not wanting to give herself away to the maid. The _maid_! Now there was another mystery to this hysteria - no doubt the maid had a role in this, too, but what role exactly…?

"Yes", Lindsay answered, "Come in"

The maid came in and gave Lindsay a sympathetic look as Lindsay leant against the wall, her face glistened with sweat, her breathing heavy and slightly wheezy.

"If you needed help to the sink, you should have just called on me, dear", the maid explained as she hoisted Lindsay under her arms and guided the pink hedgehog towards the sink.

"I didn't need help, I'm fine just the way I am", Lindsay insisted fiercely and added under her breath, "A fat lot of help you are, anyway, you scheming bitch"

"What did you say?", the maid asked, confused. Lindsay felt her cheeks flush as she attempted to smile innocently at the maid.

"Nothing", she smiled, "Nothing"

And before she knew it Lindsay was back in bed with her 'broken' leg carefully positioned on the mattress. But now that she knew that the entire emphasis on her broken leg was a complete hoax, Lindsay knew that she had to spend her time wisely whilst she had the chance and whenever she was alone, for whatever was going on behind her back had intrigued her even more… and _this _time _she_ was going to intrude in everyone's fun and games, _she_ was going to put an end to it. An end to Sonic.

Once and for all.

* * *

"Okay", Sonic wheezed, "Okay… I know it's been, like, a couple of days and you've beaten the crap out of me, but surely, _surely_, you've calmed down by now?"

"Calmed down?", Stan repeated, "_Calmed _down? Are you fucking _kidding_ me?"

Sonic grimaced. He had suffered many assaults made by Stan and was on the verge of crying with dismay because no matter how many times Sonic attempted to distract Stan's attention by explaining _why_ he did offered Mei in the first place and what he was proposing to do in order to save her, Stan only replied with violence, kicks, punches, _pain_. If he had so much as attempted to step in front of Stan or sit beside him, Sonic would be beaten mercilessly; it was simply impossible. Of course Stan would react this way, Stan wouldn't be normal if he didn't, but Sonic just _had _to discuss his plan with Stan if he wanted to stop the madness just in time, for now their timing was precious; both Sonic's and Mei's. It was only a matter of days before the _real _horror would take place. Sonic looked at Stan. The red bat slumped in one corner of the cell, his eyes rimmed with fatigue as he used all of his energy attacking Sonic, his posture weak from beatings, exhaustion, and hunger. Sonic wiped his nose and took a deep breath. _I'll try once more_, he thought, _Surely he'll listen to me now._

"Stan, listen", Sonic began, "I know what I've done is wrong. _Terribly _wrong. Don't you think I know that? But I know a way we can stop this before Mei is endangered"

"Why the _fuck _would I listen to-"

"Just shut up!", Sonic screamed, "Shut the fuck up and _listen_! I've allowed you to beat me mercilessly for the past few days and I've tried to talk to you about this but you just wouldn't _listen_! If you want Lindsay and Mei to be unharmed I suggest you stay the fuck away from me and listen to what I have to say! Besides", Sonic felt in his suit pocket, "I have something that might influence you"

"Like what?", Stan spat, "What could you possibly have that would interest me?"

"This", Sonic pulled out something that gleamed in the light of the cell. Stan froze, staring at the object. _No… it couldn't be…_, he thought.

"It's", Stan began, "it's-"

"I found it around her neck when my men found her body and brought it upstairs for a medical examination", Sonic stood and slowly walked towards Stan with Meg's locket in his hand. He paused when he was in front of Stan's crouched body and offered the locket to him, "If I were any kind of heartless man I would have had this taken away and sold like the other possessions she had on her like her watch and her equipment. But I can tell how much she meant to you… and I was waiting to give you this when the time was right", Sonic leant down and coaxed Stan to take the locket, "Take it. Please"

Stan reluctantly took it, sniffing as he did so.

"I gave her this locket", he whispered, "She meant a lot to me… My Meg…"

"I'm sorry", Sonic whispered, "I know how it feels to lose a loved one"

"Mm", Stan answered.

"Meg died naturally, by the way", Sonic explained further, "Severe blood loss due to a brain haemorrhage. I didn't kill her. At least, I think I didn't. I hurt her a few times, yes, but not that much once I think about it… Lindsay stopped me just in time before I could do any more serious damage to Meg. But it was our wrong-doing, too; we should have kept an eye on her health when she was still alive"

"Mm", Stan replied. Sonic produced the cheque from his other pocket, slightly crumpled after Stan's violent outbursts. Stan looked up and stared at the writing on it.

"I'm going to give this to Lindsay", Sonic explained, "I want her to get out of here you and Mei and start afresh. I want to change and get help. Now, you know that if I was lying and that I had no intention to let any of you go, I wouldn't waste my time writing this cheque… Stan, you've got to believe me… what more evidence do you need?"

Stan stared helplessly at the cheque, and then back at Sonic. He really _wasn't_ lying at all…

"Stan?", Sonic croaked, staring pleadingly at him. Stan looked at the ground, and then at the locket. If Meg was here, she would knew what to do. Hell, she knew that she would be running risks with any decision she made, but she would take immediate action. Stan _knew _Meg would co-operate if freedom was involved. He had had pleasure beating the living daylights out of Sonic over the past few days, but no matter what he did he never _felt_ any better. Only worse. Much worse. And if Sonic was lying, then damn it, he would be an awesome actor to endure Stan's physical abuse and to create so many excuses to persuade Stan to listen to him…

What to do… what to do…

"Stan, answer me!", Sonic demanded. He needed Stan's co-operation so badly. Stan stared at the locket once more. And then at the genuine cheque.

There was only one thing he could do. If it were to save Lindsay and Mei. Besides, he could easily shoot Sonic at the very last minute if the worst became reality…

"What do we need to do?", Stan croaked at long last. Sonic, almost fainting with relief, scrambled down beside him and began to frantically whisper, keeping a close eye out for any Guards nearby who could be eavesdropping.

"We need to get rid of these Guards in here", Sonic began, "And what we need to do is create a diversion somewhere else that will lead these Guards out of this area to somewhere else which would lead them on a wild goose chase"

"And what about those Guards?", Stan whispered, "What happens to them?"

"Whoever is creating the diversion will distract them whilst somebody else attacks them from behind… kind of like a trap", he explained as best as he could, "That night, security will be pretty low because there will be a small party taking place in the main ballroom, so they won't expect any disturbances then"

"Well, who do you have in mind that will do this?", Stan asked curiously.

"Well, that's just the thing, really", Sonic shrugged, "I'm struggling to think of anybody who would do this. I was kinda wondering, Stan, of you knew anybody who would be good participants?"

Stan sat back, pondering. There were so many sources that he would recommend but none seemed to scream professional within his thoughts. Okay, so Sonic need one to distract the Guards, to distract them, whilst another had to attack them from behind. So, that was two people. He limited the search in his thoughts down to two possible candidates. Yes… _yes_.. It was possible!

"I know these two guys", Stan explained, "But I'll have to get in contact with them if we want this to work"

"How are you going to do that?", Sonic asked, curious. Stan glanced at the table where the Guards sat, playing with cards and chatting animatedly about a recent football game, ignoring the two Mobians in the prison cell. On the table beside them was a backpack, _his_ backpack, and inside was his cell phone. Stan glanced at the rusty pole that he had struck Sonic with earlier on that remained with them inside the cell.

Suddenly, Stan was inspired.

"How much time do we have?", he demanded.

"Now?", Sonic asked, "Well, only a number of days. I'd say about three days. Why?"

"I need _you _to make a distraction", Stan told Sonic, "Anything to distract those Guards over there, because I need to get a hold of my backpack using _that_ pole", Stan pointed at the pole, "But wait until tomorrow and then we can take proper action, otherwise it would look suspicious"

"Agreed", Sonic accepted, "Now, are we going to co-operate with one another?"

"Yes", Stan agreed.

"And do you trust me?", Sonic asked nervously. Stan stared at him hard.

"Only if you become a man of your word", was Sonic's answer.

* * *

They meant well, but Lindsay didn't want to read the books she was given by the staff. _The Color Purple_,_ The Phantom Of The Opera_,_ Carrie_,_ Jane Eyre_… oh, how she would have loved to read the books but the fact that everything around her seemed to be a lie, she couldn't bring herself to trust even the most beautiful pieces of literature that lay on the bedside table. Instead, Lindsay scrabbled inside the drawer of the bedside table and found her X-ray scan. Indeed, the scan looked genuine with it's individual reference numbers and her name and the picture of her 'broken' bone. She reached one finger out to the faint white line that confirmed the injury and gently scratched the surface of the line with her right thumb. The white line slowly faded away as her thumb rapidly scratched and scraped along the top of it, as though she were scraping a strip of adhesive tape off of a piece of card. Lindsay stared at her perfectly structured leg in the scan when the obvious white line had been scraped away and frowned. Her leg was fine. Perfectly fine. There was nothing wrong with her leg, judging the scan. She recalled how strangely the Doctor had been acting when she had visited Lindsay…

"_This isn't right… I _can't _do this…"_

The Doctor knew. She knew what was going on and she was involved in it, too. Lindsay exhaled slowly and smacked the scan lightly against her forehead. How could she have been so _blind_? Despite how many times she had asked herself that question, she would continue to question herself until Hell would freeze over. Of course something had been going on behind her back after falling down the set of stairs, but why didn't she _sense _it happening?

But now that it was the mystery was out in the open, Lindsay could join in on the game.

Lindsay laid back into the bed and breathed out. How was she going to do it? There had to be a way to get them back. But how? And when should she attack them?

Outside, Lindsay could hear maids gossiping from the other side of the doors. She sat up and held her breath, eager to hear their conversation. Actually pulling off her cast and tip-toeing towards the doors would be too risky, particularly if the maids where so close nearby, so Lindsay pulled her broken cast off and crawled to the end of the bed, and leant forward to hear better…

"Have you got everything?", one maid asked solemnly.

"Well, I'll need to get to the market at some time to get a few essentials for the banquet but so far we're doing okay", the other maid said, "I hope everything goes well for the Foreign Commissioner"

"Yes", the maid answered, "Everything must be perfect for the 22nd"

… the 22nd. What was so significant about that date? Lindsay sat back on her legs and pondered. It was the 19th. So whatever that was happening on the 22nd must be big if everybody was talking about it. Obviously whatever was happening on the 22nd was the event that Lindsay had been prevented from interfering in.

Lindsay sat back in her original position. She knew enough to begin planning her escape.

* * *

"You've got to fucking help me!", Sonic suddenly screamed as he threw himself against the bars of the prison cell, his arms sliding through the spaces of the bars and reaching out desperately, "_PLEASE_ help me!"

"What the fu-", the National Guard began, peering at the blue hedgehog. Sonic repeatedly smacked his body against the bars, desperate to wriggle out and escape, his face filled with panic and fear.

"There's a fucking lunatic in here!", he howled, "He says he's going to hurt me!"

"Now calm down. Calm down", the Guard reassured him, "Now, what's going on?"

"There's a fucking lunatic in the corner!", Sonic screamed, "He's going to kill me!"

The Guard frowned at him and peered at Stan who was crouched in one corner. Stan looked at him innocently and shrugged.

"Don't ask me", Stan answered, "I asked him if he was okay and he began to scream and kept pointing in that corner"

The Guard frowned at Stan and then at Sonic. Sonic cried out fearfully and pointed furiously at an empty corner of the cell, his arm shaking.

"He's here!", he roared, "He's here and he's going to kill me! He's going to stab me! Oh, Jesus Christ! Why won't you _believe _me?"

"Whoa, okay", the Guard replied and unlocked the door of the prison cell, "I think you need a little night-cap, my friend"

"He'll kill me!", Sonic shouted as loudly as he could, "And he'll kill you, too! Get me out of here!"

"Jesus Christ", the Guard commented, "You're truly fucked up, man", and grabbed a firm hold of Sonic's right arm. Another Guard appeared and helped the other Guard, both of them struggling to keep a firm grip on the maniacal blue hedgehog, shouting orders over his screams and cries of dismay. As predicted earlier by Sonic, they dragged him away towards the First Aid room to inject a dose of tranquilliser into his arm. On cue, Stan grabbed the rusty pole, peered through the bars to check that it was safe to carry on, and held the pole as he carefully positioned the pole between two bars, pushing it forward until it reached his backpack that lay on the table where the National Guards usually sat by whilst watching the prisoners. Stan kept his eyes firmly on the pole as it aimed for his backpack, hovered around the small tag at the top of the bag… successfully slid the pole through the small tag… slowly but gently dragged the backpack off of the table as he pulled the pole back into the cell… the backpack slowly but surely moving closer towards him as Stan pulled the pole towards him…

_FUCK!_, Stan thought backpack slid off of the pole unexpectedly and landed on the floor with a noticeable 'thunk'. Stan froze, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. There were no threatening footsteps rapidly approaching. Stan could hear Sonic's screams of horror and swearing from the Guards in the First Aid room nearby.

_Sonic's acting is obviously very realistic if he's able to distract the Guards from their duties_, Stan thought aloud. He regained his grip on the rusty pole and hooked the backpack once more, pulling the pole into the cell. Other prisoners watched with interest.

"Hey, buddy", a fox whispered, "When you get out of there… think you can get _us_ out of here?"

"Yeah, we saw how you beat Sonic up earlier - right on! It's about time, too", a echidna added eagerly. Stan frowned at the pole and at the prisoners, juggling strategies and plans and favours.

"What?", he asked, confused, and then heard Sonic's shouting and screaming suddenly die down. Time was running out. Stan shook his head, "Oh, fuck _off_! Not when I'm in the middle of something!"

He rapidly pulled the remainder of the pole back into the cell along with his backpack, threw the pole to where it originally sat, threw his backpack to one corner and lay over it, crouched so that it looked as though he was lying on the floor, attempting to sleep peacefully, the backpack carefully hidden. Stan could hear the two Guards returning, dragging Sonic's body behind them. They unlocked the prison cell and threw Sonic's body into the cell carelessly; Sonic remained unresponsive.

"What about him?", One Guard asked, obviously indicating Stan. Stan held his breath, praying. No, he couldn't. The Guard couldn't inject tranquilliser into Stan; that meant that their planning would be sabotaged severely. He closed his eyes.

_Please, please, please don't!_, Stan thought desperately.

There was a pause.

"Nah", the other Guard said, "He seems okay. It's just Sonic who turned loopy"

"Well, it just goes to show you", the other Guard commented, "Too much power can make you go crazy"

"True, true. He'll be out cold for a while… let's get something to eat", and with that the Guards locked the prison cell door and left the area, leaving a stunned silence behind them. Stan remained in the same position for a while until he heard a slurred question escaping Sonic's mouth, "Stan… we good…?"

"Oh yeah", Stan chuckled softly, "We're good to go"

"Good, good", Sonic chuckled exhaustedly, "I'm sure… tired… think I'm gonna…", and with that he fell into a deep sleep, with no sign of waking up. Stan smirked at the drugged hedgehog. Sonic may be out cold for now, but without a doubt he would be wide awake for the 22nd, ready to keep his word and get Lindsay and Mei out of harm's way. _**If**_Sonic kept his word. This contradiction ran through Stan's mind in an unpleasant manner. Stan stared at Sonic's unresponsive body and questioned the situation they were both in. Did Stan _really _trust Sonic? Or was he easily influenced simply because it was his only chance of getting out alive from this Hellish nightmare? Then again, Sonic wouldn't willingly allow himself to be beaten to a pulp or have himself drugged if he was lying, so…

What was Stan _doing_? Time was precious and he had to use it wisely. He ripped open his backpack, aware that the other prisoners were watching him, and pulled out his cell phone. God knows Stan hated them, but for once, the possible candidates in his mind could really show their true potential… if they didn't screw up, of course.

Stan keyed in a set of numbers and pressed the cell phone against his ear.

_Please, God_, he prayed, _Please let this work! _


	12. Judgement Day

**Hey guys! I bet you thought I had forgotten about 'Hide And Seek', eh? XD Anyways, here's the long-awaited penultimate chapter! Sorry about the delay - I had the most awful case of writer's block for this story and Uni has kept me very busy! I will write the final chapter whenever I get the chance!**

**A/N: All Guards are OCs**

**A/N: *The poem Stan is referring to is 'Shooting Stars' which is written and owned by the Scottish poet and playwright Carol Ann Duffy.**

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

The 22nd. To the Guards and other members of staff, it was an ordinary day in which held an event which could change the priorities of their country forever. For Sonic and Stan, the 22nd felt like Doomsday.

"The 22nd of April", Stan remarked as they sat in their prison cell that day, "How ironic…"

"What do you mean by that?", Sonic asked with interest. Ever since Stan had reclaimed his cell phone, the phone call had been made and the two Mobians sat silently, awaiting for any sudden action to take place that day. So far, there was nothing, leaving Sonic and Stan to bond by making strained conversation with one another. Stan smirked at Sonic's curious question and looked at him, a bemused expression on his face.

"It reminds me of a poem*", Stan remarked, "We were studying it in high school and we were discussing the strange irony behind on line about how people were dying during a month that represented new life… Funny, 'cause we're in the same position right now"

"Ah, I get you now", Sonic commented and sat back, exhaling loudly. He was bored inside the cell. He wished he could run about but he knew he had to be patient. Their time would come eventually. Stan looked at Sonic with concern.

"You okay?", he asked. Besides, any fault with the two Mobians would badly affect their plans. Two Guards sat nearby at their table, cleansing their weapons and sharing orders for that night, speaking solemnly and ignoring the prisoners. The other prisoners didn't dare breathe a word about what Stan had done nights ago, but they were forever intrigued by Stan's plans and continuously asked him about what he was doing whenever the Guards were out of the room or sleeping on the job. Sonic shook his head in a disgusted manner at the sight. Stan told the other prisoners to mind their 'own fucking business'.

"Yeah, I'm just bored", Sonic commented and stretched his arms. Stan nodded his head in agreement.

"True", he commented, "But our time will come eventually"

"What do you mean by that, boy?", one of the Guards suddenly asked. Stan jumped slightly, fearful they had actually overheard his conversation with Sonic. Shit. If Stan so much as slipped any word about their plans, and it would all end disastrously. He had to think fast.

"I said", the Guard repeated fiercely, "What did you mean by that, boy?"

Sonic signalled Stan with his eyes. _Don't give us away_, he urged inside his head. Stan looked up at the ceiling and held his hands up in mock despair.

"Doomsday", Stan lied, attempting to look fearful, "One day the Lord will smite us all and punish us for our sins. We will pay for the sins we have committed…"

"Man, you're seriously fucked up!", the Guard smirked and turned back to his work colleague, "What do you think about that? We've got one prisoner who has imaginary friends, and one who's a religious nut!"

"Hey, Sonic", the other Guard called, not bothering to address him by his role, "Where's your psycho friend, today?"

Sonic attempted to ignore him, his face flushed a scarlet colour. The Guards both snickered cruelly and continued to cleanse their weapons. Stan breathed out, knowing he had escaped from an awkward situation, especially when the Guard called him _boy_. Stan felt the anger rising inside his body. _Nobody _had the right to call him _boy_, simply because he was from a different race; in fact, Mobians wouldn't ever have the privilege to do so since Stan would easily punch their ignorant faces before they had the chance. Stan had suffered enough racism to last a lifetime. He sat back, smiling knowingly. Oh, yes, their revenge was going to be sweet. Sonic glanced at the clock beside the table where the Guards sat at, and held his breath. It was four o'clock in the afternoon, only another two hours or so before the action would begin. He sat back, pondering whether or not they would succeed…

* * *

At twenty past six, it came by surprise. An almighty explosion rumbled nearby by that shook the entire building. Prisoners shot up from their crumpled positions in their cells and looked around frantically, expecting terrorists to appear out of nowhere and shoot them.

"What the _fuck_ was that?", A Guard demanded fiercely. He received no answer.

Another explosions erupted, shaking the building once more. Sonic and Stan smirked at each other in a knowing manner. _Perfect timing_, Sonic thought to himself. Other prisoners grew frantic, attempting to break out of their cells but failing to do so.

"Get us out of here!", One prisoner screamed, "We're all going to die!"

"It's the end of civilisation!", Another prisoner stupidly roared, causing panic to erupt in the cells. The Guards aimed their weapons at the prisoners, ready to shoot.

"Stay the fuck back", one Guard ordered, "And nobody gets shot. Nobody is getting out of here unless we say so, understood?"

"Are you fucking _insane_?", an echidna screamed, "You can't expect us to stay in here if we're under attack!"

"We can and we will", the other Guard commented, "Besides, we are _not_ under attack, you stupid idiot-"

And at that moment, the Guard's walkie-talkie suddenly became animated, a voice screaming from the speaker, "Shit, we're under attack here! We need backup, _now_! This is not a drill, move your asses! Oh, _Christ_ it's such a mess up here!"

The Guard took his walkie-talkie and spoke into it, his eyes remaining on the prisoners, "Where abouts is the explosion?"

"Upstairs, on the third floor. In one of the conference rooms, you know, the one next to our staffroom?"

"Yep"

"Well, get up here, _now_! I've just seen… wait… who are _you_?", the voice cried out from the other end, "Oh, _Shit_!-", and suddenly, the voice from the other end of the walkie-talkie died. The Guard shuffled on one foot to the other, and eventually nodded. The alarm on the wall flashed, a beeping sound escaping the small speaker on the alarm, screaming the words: "**EMERGENCY: ASSISTANCE NEEDED**", with a scarlet background and produced details where the assistance was need underneath the noticeable plea on the small screen. The Guards looked at one another and nodded significantly. They pulled out their M4 rifles and looked at the prisoners in an intimidating manner.

"We'll be back before you know it", the Guard insisted, "So don't try any funny stuff. We have other men on the lookout for anyone who attempts to escape from here"

And with that, both Guards left the prison cells, leaving a deafening silence in the room. Moments later, the keys on the table lifted up in the air by themselves and hovered towards Sonic and Stan. Other prisoners stared at the sight, bewildered.

"It's a ghost!", One shouted, and others screamed automatically, scurrying away to the furthest corner of their cells. Stan frowned at the prisoners as Espio released his camouflage, making himself visible to the public.

"Man", Espio commented, "And I thought _I _was gullible at the worst of times!"

"Espio!", Stan grinned, "My man! Perfect timing! Listen, unlock this door and then we'll be on our way"

"Sure thing", Espio answered but paused when he saw the other prisoners, "But what about them?"

"Sonic?", Stan asked and looked at him expectedly. Sonic paused, considering the idea. The prisoners in the other cells were mostly innocent people who failed to pay their rents in time or stole food to feed their families. Now that he had thought about it, Sonic realised that they had done nothing wrong in the first place. He felt _awful_, knowing how ignorant he really was.

"They can go", he announced, "Just leave. Espio will show you the safest way out of here"

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!", one prisoner gushed happily, "But what about the money I owe?"

"Leave that to me", Sonic answered, "I feel bad about things like taxes. I'm going to change everything and make everything work out in this country. I'm going to change"

Espio nodded, smiling, as he unlocked the other cells, allowing the prisoners to climb out of their cells. Sonic and Stan, themselves, emerged from their prison cell, and began to laugh shakily. Nobody knew why they were laughing, but it was easier not to say a word against it. The former prisoners left with Espio. Stan looked at Sonic.

"Let's go", Stan ordered.

* * *

"… and all of a sudden Leon cut off on the other end of the walkie-talkie", one Guard commented, "It was freaky. I think there's more than one terrorist in the building so stay vigilant, whatever happens"

"Got'cha", another Guard nodded. They had ran upstairs to the third floor and made their way down the hallway, only to find the conference room on that floor heavily damaged, the double doors flung open and broken from their hinges, smoke pouring out into the hallway. The Guards fought their way through the smoke, coughing and spluttering as they did so, and peered through the smoke and the dirt to find a silver hedgehog standing with their back facing the Guards.

"Hey, you!", one Guard shouted, "What the _Hell_ do you think you're doing?"

The silver hedgehog turned around, smiling, as he watched other National Guards eventually emerging into the destroyed conference room. Silver had been told there would be around thirty Guards, and when he had quietly counted that there were twenty six Guards in the room, he decided that that was enough. The other four Guards would be easy to kill off later on. Right now, Silver had to get rid of the Guards right in front of him.

"What am I doing?", Silver asked, "Why, this, of course"

Silver held his left hand out and heavily focussed on the doors behind the Guards, frowning with concentration. Automatically, the double doors behind the Guards closed suddenly, locking themselves. One Guard ran to the door and attempted to open them but failed to do so. The doors were tightly locked.

"He's fucking locked us in!", the Guard shouted fearfully. The other Guards stared at him and then back at Silver who then drew his left arm back… and fiercely pushed his left arm forward, using his Telekinesis power to force the Guards to fly backwards, crashing against the wall behind them, instantly killing them. The windows near Silver instantly smashed due to the powerful force of the Telekinesis. Silver breathed out, content, the cold air outside brushing against him. It had been easier than he had expected, but Silver knew that he wasn't out of the macabre yet, he had to catch up with Vector and help Sonic and Stan out. Silver unlocked and opened the double doors with his Telekinesis, grabbed one of the many M4 Rifles cluttered on the floor, and walked out calmly.

* * *

"Hey, guys!", Vector called out to Stan and Sonic as they raced down the hallway. Stan screeched to a halt and frowned at Vector, mumbling, "No, no, no…", which eventually became louder until he shouted, "No, no, _no_! I told you to stay with Silver until the time being!"

"Silver could handle it by himself", Vector answered, "He told me himself earlier on"

"But that way, you seriously slow _us _down!", Sonic cried. Vector looked at Sonic, wounded by his comment.

"I'm not _that_ bad, guys!", Vector protested, clutching his backpack, "Just tell me what I'm doing, and I'll do it"

"Remember that guy I told you about", Stan asked Sonic, "Who was listening to his music when the alarms went off?"

"Yeah?", Sonic answered.

"This is him", Stan nodded at Vector despairingly. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"_Jesus_!", Sonic muttered angrily. Vector blushed as he recalled his earlier, infamous blunder.

"_Any_way", Vector announced, "What are we doing now?"

"First of all", Sonic declared, "We have to get to Mei's room. That's where they'll be just now, with any luck"

"No problem", Stan answered, "That way we can catch up with Silver and then we can take out the rest of those bastards"

"Okay!", Vector exclaimed, and then frowned, "Nobody's going to get killed, right?"

Stan and Sonic groaned with dismay simultaneously.

* * *

The timing, again, couldn't be more perfect. The halls were empty as the trio sped down the long hallways towards Mei's room, cautiously checking every corner in case of any sudden attacks by the Guards. They eventually screeched to a halt when they reached Mei's bedroom, pausing, anticipating the worst to happen to them. Nothing happened. Stan nodded at Sonic suggestively. Sonic eyed the double doors which was the entrance to her bedroom, and slowly reached out and grabbed the door handles and gently turned them, opening the doors. Stan stood, his hands sweating with anxiety. He was not armed with weapons, therefore he was vulnerable to any attacks from the Guards. However, Stan had Sonic and Vector on his side if anything happened to them. And weren't there many men who had managed to attack enemies without the use of weapons throughout history? Vector, on the other hand, felt _very_ nervous and scared about the situation. He quietly began to back away as Stan and Sonic swung the double doors open and immediately backed away, in case there was a full party of Guards waiting for them from the other side of the door. Nobody had told Vector that the job was going to be _deadly_. If he had known he would have automatically refused to help out. But now that Vector was there, there was nothing he could do except help his friends out. Vector shook the thoughts out of his head. Of course he would help out, who wouldn't?, but if there was any danger lying ahead of him he didn't want Stan or Sonic to expect him to stay and fight, instead, he was going to flee!

There was a silence.

Nothing.

Sonic and Stan breathed out slowly and crept into the darkened bedroom, peering into the intimidating darkness. Vector reluctantly followed them. Instead of a gang of Guards waiting to ambush them, the bedroom remained empty besides the three Mobians, all sighing with frustration and cursing.

"Shit!", Sonic snapped, "We're too late! If only we were here a few minutes earlier! Shit, shit, shit!"

"But you told us that they would be here…", Stan muttered, "What exactly is going on here?"

"I thought we would make it on time!", Sonic cried, "Why didn't you tell Vector and Silver and whatever to arrive earlier?"

"Ex_cuse_ me?", Stan remarked, "I did just what you told me to do, and that was to create a diversion. We decided around six o'clock would be early enough to carry out our plans, so don't give me the impression that is has been _our_ fault the entire time because how the _Hell_ were we suppose to know when your maid and that rabbit would take Mei away?"

"For the record", Vector commented, "None of this was my fault whatsoever and-"

"Oh, fuck off!", Sonic snapped at Vector.

"So, what do we do now, Sonic?", Stan demanded, "What bright idea do you have in your mind?"

"We need to do something", Sonic muttered, trying to think of an idea.

"Yes", Vector replied unwisely. This infuriated Sonic to a great extent.

"Do fucking _what_?", Sonic shouted back. Vector opened his mouth and closed it again; he had no reassuring answer.

Sonic breathed out slowly, regaining his temper, listening to the music nearby on the ground floor of the building, the melody of the 'Waltz Of The Flowers' creating the impression that life was continuing as normal despite the Mobians' current affairs. And that was when the thought came to him. The music downstairs in the main ballroom; the classical music, the vulnerable guests dressed in their finest gowns and suits, not expecting any surprises…

"Guys", he smiled, "It's time to crash a party!"

"What?", Stan asked with disbelief, "You don't mean…?"

"Let's give those bastards a party favour beyond their imaginations!", Sonic exclaimed, "What do you say?"

"With all due respect-", Stan began to explain but was rudely interrupted.

"We go down", Sonic calmly explained, "And we surprise them by aiming a few guns at them and threaten to shoot them unless they give us Mei"

"Is that _really _your best idea?", Stan asked with disbelief. The idea was too _predictable_.

"Well, do you have a _better_ idea?", Sonic demanded, waving his arms with frustration, "Think of it this way, Stan: There's no Guards, and defenceless politicians downstairs not knowing what is going on-"

"But the explosion earlier on-", Stan began.

"Yes, but the guests should be arriving right about _now_", Sonic explained further, "We thought by just killing the Guards and stopping Tikal and Vanilla on their tracks would bring an end to this, but we're obviously too late. But we're so fucking lucky! Think of it this way; we've already got rid of the Guards-"

"_If_ Silver was successful taking them out single-handedly", Stan commented.

"Which he has, I can sense it,", Sonic firmly answered, "But anyway, the Guards are killed off, the guests never find out about the explosion and are completely oblivious to what we're doing, there's no Guards to _protect_ the guests, so we can easily walk away with Mei without being disturbed. Agreed?"

Stan paused, pondering over the situation. Vector shifted his weight on one foot to the other, awaiting Stan's reply. Stan suddenly smirked and nodded at Sonic.

"You're a smart motherfucker!", Stan chuckled, "'Kay. Let's do it!"

"First of all, what weapons do you have in your backpack, Vector?", Sonic asked the crocodile. Vector slipped his backpack off of his shoulders and zipped it open. Packed inside the backpack were several Ingram Mac10s, in which the hedgehog and the bat desperately pulled them out.

"Not exactly the _best_ gun I've handled but it'll do", Sonic commented as he inspected the gun.

"Right, okay, we have our weapons, now let's go and find Silver", Stan ordered firmly, "I swear, I hope that kid isn't dead"

"Isn't what?", a voice emerged from outside the bedroom. Silver stood by the doorway, leaning against the doorframe as he stared back at the trio calmly, arms folded, the M4 Rifle in one hand.

"Silver!", Stan exclaimed happily, "Listen, my man, there's a slight change of plan-"

"You can say that again", Silver answered, "Last I checked there was a group in here with the little girl… where are they now?", Silver paused and frowned, "You didn't let them get _away_, did you?"

"What?", Stan answered, "No! We're actually too _late_, but we have a new plan and we need your expertise to help us out. Now that all the Guards are out of our way-"

"Not exactly", Silver answered. Sonic frowned at him.

"What?" Sonic answered, "But, surely you killed them _all_?"

"Not quite", Silver answered and heaved his body off of the doorframe, "When I trapped the Guards, I only counted around twenty six Guards in the room before I killed them, so there's roughly four other Guards roaming the area, but I can easily take them out"

"But that's too dangerous considering the circumstances", Sonic began, "Our plans have changed drastically so-"

"C'mon, Sonic", Silver smirked, "Four Guards against a hedgehog with Telekinesis? I think we both know who would win between the two of them"

"Agreed", Sonic answered, "Silver, we're now going to go downstairs to… _surprise _the guests in the main ballroom with our own personalised party favour, of you get my drift-"

"Ah", Silver answered, smiling knowingly.

"And let's just say, things might get a bit messy", Sonic held his Ingram Mac10 up suggestively, "You in?"

"Oh yeah", Silver agreed, "I'm in!"

"Alright, ladies", Stan smirked, "Let's do this!"

The four Mobians silently left the bedroom, peering into the dark hallway and slowly departed towards the nearest staircase. They all knew that they were risking their lives, but they knew that every hope rested on them from that moment in time. Vector folded his arms crossly as he followed the trio from behind. Damn it, he had no _intention_ of actually physically harming anyone, let alone _killing_ anybody. He was a detective, for fuck's sake, not a vigilante or a murderer. Oh, how Vector wished that Stan had chosen Epsio for the job, however _he _was chosen instead due to Espio catching an illness. Vector simply prayed that he wouldn't be killed that night, or that he wouldn't have to endure another similar experience any time in the near future.

Silver was in front of Vector, silently following Stan and Sonic as they ventured down the hallway. Silver, if he was completely honest, wasn't very effected by the entire situation. To him, it was basically work experience where he learned a few tricks in the trade and if he did a _very_ good job for one or two Mobians, earned a good pay. But even if the mission was simply just a job, Silver couldn't help but allow the adrenaline to burst through his body as he squinted and peered at every single thing within the hallway surrounding them; had that security camera been there before? What was that sound? Was it him, or was there a shadow in the corner that just moved before his very eyes? Why did it seem that at that moment of time Silver was beginning to notice every single small thing within his sight…?

Stan and Sonic both shook with fear but anticipation; they both knew that they were facing danger, regardless of their own power and strength. Sonic, himself, was _furious_ with Silver for not killing off all of the Guards, as it only meant there was _more _complications in their predicament. He just prayed that his plan would work, for he knew that he would never forgive himself. And if the group had managed to march downstairs, into the ballroom, and threaten the guests undisturbed? Well, only then would Sonic decide whether or not to actually harm somebody. But his daughter was his first priority. Right now, her safety was all that mattered. Stan, on the other hand, kept a close eye on Sonic, hoping - _praying_ - that he would keep to his word, and that Sonic wouldn't lead them to a dead end. However, it was so far so good. Oh, how Stan wanted to aim his gun at Sonic's head and pull the trigger, but then again Sonic _did_ get Stan out of the prison cells, and he had allowed the other prisoners to leave.

Sonic really had changed.

No, he hadn't… had he?

He was trying to prove that he had changed his ways.

But was all an act?

Life, Stan declared right there and then, was, indeed, complex.

The four Mobians had reached the staircase, when a noticeable thud suddenly escaped in the eerie silence in the hallways. Sonic and Stan spun around immediately, their eyes darting this place and that, looking for any explanation for the loud sound. Vector froze, beads of sweat forming on his forehead; here it was - the moment he had dreaded completely. Silver scanned his eyes over the hallways and back to his group members, and arched an eyelid and smirked, obviously mocking Sonic's and Stan's, but mostly Vector's, ridiculous anxiety.

Another sound. A loud bang, as if somebody had dropped an object onto the hard marble floor. This time every Mobian looked in the direction where the sound was coming from.

"What the _fuck_ is that?", Stan dared whisper. Nobody answered him. They paused for a few minutes before Sonic eventually shook his head and spoke softly, "False alarm, guys. Let's keep going"

They all turned around to their original position… and came face to face with three Guards, all heavily armed and intimidating.

"Well, well, well", One Guard commented, "Four little piggies going _whee, whee, whee_ all the way home… only this time…", he cocked his gun at the group of friends, "… These little piggies aren't going to make it home alive"

"_NOW_!", Sonic roared and without warning viciously punched the Guard right in the face. His timing was perfect, for he was too quick for the Guard to defend himself. Sonic then head-butted the Guard, swore in pain on his behalf, and then kneed the crippled Guard, causing him to fall to the floor in pain. During this, Stan elbowed another Guard so that the Guard's weapon flew out of his hand. The Guard pounced to grab his weapon without a second thought but felt his body forcing itself back to his original position, which forced Stan to aim his gun at the Guard's head and shoot two bullets; causing blood and bits of brain to splatter onto the floor. Vector cried out in fear as he shot aimlessly at the final Guard, praying that one of his bullets would hit the Guard anywhere. For once, Vector was successful as the final Guard was taken aback from the sudden action from both Sonic and Stan to which he had become completely oblivious to Vector's presence _and_ the fact that Vector had a gun in his hand. He responded with a pathetic, "What the _fuck_-", before he howled in pain as several bullets shot out of the Ingrim Mac10 and speared the Guard through his chest, causing the third guard to collapse to the floor slowly with a pained expression on his face.

"Oh, my God!", Vector exclaimed, "I actually shot somebody! Did you guys _see_ that?"

"Nobody gives a flying fuck, Vector!", Stan snapped and cursed in pain as he inspected his sudden bloody leg.

"Jesus, Stan", Vector muttered, "What happened? Did they shoot you?"

"No", he murmured angrily, "You shot _me_, you stupid ass! Next time, aim in the right direction, got it?"

"Sure", Vector answered, afraid to say another word. Silver suddenly tensed and stared into space.

"Guys", he whispered. The other Mobians stared at him curiously. Silver focussed and frowned with great effort… and through Silver's telekinesis, a Guard immediately came flying in mid-air from around the corner and landed right in front of them. He peered at the fugitives fearfully.

"I mean no harm", the Guard whimpered, sitting up on his knees and held his hands up in defence. Sonic smirked and shook his head the young male.

"That's what they all say", he remarked and then turned around to Stan, "Hey, Stan. He must think we were born yester-"

Sonic was cut off as the Guard unexpectedly produced a blade and dug his blade into Sonic's leg. Sonic howled in pain but before he could act, Silver stood and focussed on the young Guard. With his telekinetic powers, Silver forced the Guard up into the air and savagely slammed the Guard's body against both walls in the hallway, against the hard floor, and then managed to straighten the Guard's body in an upright position. The Guard's screams were cut off as he felt an invisible, powerful source crushing his neck and instantly breaking it. The Guard's body fell limply to the floor, completely unresponsive.

"He had it coming", Silver commented, "Lousy douche bag"

"Fuck, my _leg_!", Sonic spat and dabbed helplessly at his bloody leg.

"You and me both, buddy", Stan murmured as he inspected _his_ injured leg.

"Uh, hate to break up the Casualty ward", Silver commented, "But aren't we suppose to get Mei?"

"True, true", Vector answered, "Let's go!"

"No", Sonic interrupted, "Let me. This is all my wrong-doing… it's time I faced my faults. Besides, Mei is _my _daughter, and I want to save her. That's okay, isn't it?"

"So what do _we_ do?", Stan demanded.

"You guys can go", Sonic answered back, "Stan, you grab on of my cars and have it waiting for us at the front of the building when we come out. The Garage is the smaller building to your right when you exit through the kitchen door at the back of the building. I'll grab Mei and then collect Lindsay from upstairs and then bring them downstairs to you. Then you can go and do whatever the fuck you want"

"And yourself?", Silver asked.

"Don't mind me", Sonic answered, "I'll be fine. Seriously. Go _now_ before anything unexpected happens!"

The trio responded by running towards their destination. Sonic sighed with anxiety. This was the moment he had been dreading for a long time. It wouldn't surprise him if Lindsay would declare him as the most sadistic politician on Mobius after this night, but he was doing this because he still loved her. And Mei? Sonic _adored_ Mei and still wanted to see her if it would be allowed after this night. But knowing his luck, Lindsay would probably put a permanent restraining order on him, banning all contact with his own flesh and blood. And it served him right.

But time was too precious. The Guards had distracted them for too long.

He limped down the hallway, down the grand staircase and towards the main ballroom. All of a sudden, he heard a person shouting at the top of their voice. Frowning, he limped closer to the ballroom as quickly as he could, until Sonic realised that the voice was, indeed, a female's voice, and when he reached the main doorway of the grand ballroom at long last, he stared at Lindsay, herself, slumping on the floor in front of him, her body shaking with grief and horrified howls escaping her mouth, whilst the guests stared at her with shock and sympathy.

And only at that point did Sonic realise that he was too late to save Mei's life _and _freedom… and also Lindsay's sanity, for that matter.


	13. Behind The Veil

**Hey guys! Here's the final chapter! Hooray - At long last! **

**~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo**

* * *

The 22nd. To the staff it was the busiest day in their current calendar. For Lindsay, it was Judgement Day.

She had a plan. A plan to disrupt whatever event they were plotting against her. But her timing had to be accurate. So Lindsay sat upright in the bed with the broken cast covering her leg, focussing on her thoughts. Maids came and went with meals, blankets and other essentials. But that didn't distract her.

It wasn't until twenty past six until she heard it, until she _felt_ it. An almighty explosion erupted nearby which shook on the side of the building where she lay captivated. Curious, she sat up and leaned forward, listening in to any useful information. Lindsay heard one or two Guards swear from outside and then more commotion, footsteps, shouting, and then silence. Something was happening; something that she could use as an alibi. Perfect.

Lindsay focussed on the double doors of the bedroom… and heard a Guard marching outside. This was her only chance.

"Help!", she shouted at the top of her voice, "Help me! Is there anybody there?"

There was a pause, and then the double doors open. There stood a Guard with a pistol, looking at her anxiously.

"What?", he demanded, "What is it?"

"I think there's somebody in the closet over there!", Lindsay hissed, "I was taking a nap when I noticed the door was slightly open and I heard noises coming from inside. I think it might be the culprit who made that explosion happen earlier"

"Jesus", the Guard commented, "That's helpful that you've told me. We've had no leads to whoever's done this so far. It's a real mess out there. Are you okay, though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine", she answered, "I'm just confused, what's going on?"

"I'll explain later", the Guard replied and whispered, "Listen, sit tight, I'll go in there and check it out for you. If there's nobody there I'll help you get out of here to safety"

"Ah", Lindsay whispered, "You're amazing!"

The Guard gestured to her to be quiet and tip-toed towards the closet. He opened the door slowly and cautiously, and then aimed his weapon inside the walk-in closet. Lindsay tore off the broken plaster cast and grabbed the ornament that was placed on her bedside table as a decorative object. She tip-toed slowly towards the Guard, and aimed the ornament at his head. The Guard, totally oblivious to what was happening behind him, shook his head at the empty closet.

"There's nothing in here", he announced, "Here, let's get you-"

Lindsay struck the Guard's head with the hard ornament, causing him to fall to the floor with shock. Lindsay struck him again and again until blood was glistening on the wooden ornament and the Guard's howls of pain and dismay slowly died down until he no longer attempted to fight back. The Guard lay on the floor, blood slowly seeping out of his ear and nose. Lindsay breathed out. She grabbed the Guard's pistol and slowly made her way to the double doors of the bedroom. Now that she had some protection if anybody got in her way, she could progress to the next part of her plan.

The hallways were eerily quiet when she stepped out of the bedroom for the first time. Due to her staying for a brief period with Sonic in the past, Lindsay knew the basic route to the ground floor of the Palace. She overheard many Guards swearing and shouting in the distance and another indescribable noise occurring. It simply wasn't the right moment of time to linger in the hallways; she had to get out and collect Mei before anything dangerous would happen. Her time was too precious to waste. Lindsay began to hobble down the hall, cursing at the pins and needles in her supposedly 'broken' leg. Broken leg, indeed! Just wait until she could get her hands on that bastard, Sonic! She would definitely break _his_ legs the next time she saw him, and maybe his arms and neck, too. And not only that, she would _finally_ learn what the whole secret behind Mei would be. That had been her main concern out of this entire situation, for example, why did they want Mei to lose weight? Why were Blaze and Vanilla acting so strangely? Why did they try to keep Lindsay out of the way the entire time? Could it be that they were actually planning to _kill_ Mei?

"No", Lindsay muttered to herself, "Don't be stupid, Lindsay, of _course_ they won't kill Mei! What a ridiculous thought. Vanilla and Blaze: murderers - the idea!"

Then again, the whole theory in her mind was beginning to spiral out of control. But that didn't really matter, for she was going to find out _tonight_ what the entire conspiracy was about. And if they didn't tell her or give a clue, she would shoot them right there and then. Yeah, that was a good idea. A _great_ idea to get her point across: To get answers and answers _now_.

Lindsay forgot to be cautious and jumped when she heard another thud near her. She gave a small cry of shock and her arm accidentally flew out and knocked an ornament off of a nearby table, the ornament fell and landed on the marble floor with a noticeable 'thud'. Lindsay held her breath. She heard a voice nearby stating, "What the _fuck_ is that?". Lindsay froze. Was that Stan's voice she had just heard? Did she dare turn the corner of the hallway and see for herself if it was her friend, not her mind playing tricks on her…?

No, she had come this far, she couldn't waste anymore time. It was a risk she had to take. Besides, Lindsay could catch up with Stan later. Mei was her first priority.

There were more voices. And then several gunshots. Lindsay scurried towards the main staircase fearfully. There was no way she was going to get involved with _this_ mess! She tip-toed down the stairs, and then suddenly crouched down when she saw a few guests wandering in the main hallway towards the ballroom, gossiping and laughing, completely oblivious to Lindsay hiding from them. Once the guests had re-entered the ballroom, Lindsay stood up again and slowly descended down the stairs and towards the ballroom. Lindsay didn't care that she was wearing a dirty t-shirt and torn jeans where the other guests were wearing formal suits and elegant gowns. Lindsay didn't care that her face was streaked with sweat, tears, and blood whereas the other women had their faces made-up immaculately, looking poised and beautiful. Lindsay didn't care that she looked crazy whilst she grasped a pistol in her shaking hand. All she cared about was getting her daughter back safely.

She stepped into the ballroom which was filled with elegantly-dressed guests, an orchestra providing classical music, a buffet table, and right in the centre was a small Mobian dressed in white sitting on a lone chair with a number of guests surrounding them, showering the Mobian with compliments and praise. Behind the mysterious Mobian was Tikal who was smiling, nodding, and speaking to the guests. Lindsay stared at Tikal and then at the small figure dressed in white. It only meant one thing.

The small white figure was Mei.

Lindsay looked around the room. She noticed Vanilla, Cream, Blaze, Knuckles, and also Sonic's siblings to which she had met only once before; Sonia and Manic. There were a few other faces she saw who she recalled but didn't fully recognise, and they were _all_ dressed formally and socialising with the other guests, unaware that she was standing at the threshold, watching them all. It wasn't until she slowly shuffled into the room that they noticed her presence. Many guests stared at her, bewildered, as predicted by Lindsay, as she stared straight back at them, the pistol shaking in her grasp. The grand ballroom grew eerily silent. Tikal was the first to break it as she let out an exaggerated gasp and automatically covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes staring at Lindsay with disbelief.

"But, it can't be", Tikal whispered, "You're suppose to be… I mean, you-"

"Be quiet", Lindsay announced quietly. She held up the pistol, "I'm here to take my daughter away from you all and if _any_ of you get in my way, I _will_ shoot you! Do you hear me? I will shoot you until you die!"

"No!", Tikal cried, "Stay away from her! You can't-"

"Oh, but I can", Lindsay answered, "I'm taking Mei away from you lunatics. She's just an innocent child - how _dare_ you use my child for your evil ways! I'm not having any of it!"

"Where's the Guards?", one guest timidly whispered. Lindsay ignored them and made her way towards Tikal. Tikal began to tremble as she rested her hands on Mei's shoulders.

"No!", Tikal exclaimed, "Believe me, you really don't want to look!"

"Out of my way!", Lindsay demanded.

"But-"

"_Now_!", Lindsay screamed and shot a single bullet near Tikal. The bullet didn't actually hit the trembling echidna but Tikal let out a fearful cry and obediently let go of Mei. All the other guests jumped slightly and gave out startled cries; all of them too afraid to stop the female hedgehog as she stood in front of her daughter.

Lindsay paused to look at Mei's outfit. It was like a white frock with matching gloves-

_Like in her nightmare._

- and a veil covering her entire face. Mei sat still in the chair, not responding to her mother's violent behaviour; quiet and poised. Lindsay couldn't stand it any longer and reached out to Mei, and pulled the veil away from her face. Mei's face seemed normal at first but when the light around them adjusted on Mei's face, Lindsay noticed various markings on her cheeks. Unusual markings. Not make-up, the markings looked as if they had been carved into Mei's face. Lindsay dared to reach out and touch one of the markings. One marking was, indeed, not make-up; the marking was embedded into the skin.

_The markings were __**scars**__._

Lindsay reeled back, horrified. She gagged at the sight, and then peered at Mei's face again. The markings didn't seem to make _sense_; there was a strange-looking 'F' and a large 'X' carved on one cheek, and on Mei's other cheek there was a pointy 'B' and an upside-down, pointy 'U'. Lindsay stared at them, horrified, and then at the silent guests surrounding the two hedgehogs.

"What…?", Lindsay whispered and then began to shout, "What the _fuck_ is this? You've scarred her! You've cut my baby up, you sick twisted _fucks_! How could you- what _possessed_ you all to do this to an innocent little girl? You've scarred my baby for _life_!", nobody answered her. Lindsay shouted once more, "_**ANSWER ME, YOU FUCKING LUNATICS**_!"

"It's part of the ritual", one Mobian commented.

"_What_ ritual?", Lindsay howled.

"It's the ritual of the sacrifice", the Mobian - also known as the Foreign Commissioner - answered, "You're daughter is going to be put into an arranged marriage with my son when she's older"

Lindsay couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"An arranged _marriage_?", she screamed, "That's no reason to _cut_ up her face, you fucking bastard!"

The guests began to chuckle at her comment. Lindsay began to breathe fire.

"_**STOP LAUGHING**_!", she howled at them all.

"Lindsay, didn't you know?", Vanilla asked, "As part of a traditional arranged marriage between two powerful families, the bride must have traditional markings carved on her face-"

"Bu-but she's just an innocent _little girl_!", Lindsay shouted hoarsely, "Why would you do this to her?"

"I'm sorry, dear", Vanilla remarked, "It's tradition; it has to be done. That's what the Foreign Commissioner and his people believe, and we have to do what he says"

"So, my daughter is a _bride_?", Lindsay demanded. The Foreign Commissioner fidgeted awkwardly.

"We see her as a virgin sacrifice", he explained, "But it's a significant role to play as far as our religion is concerned. She is chosen to be a virgin sacrifice for my son and she will remain perfect and pure until she is of age. Mei will come with us after tonight to my country where she will be brought up and will be taught to be respectful, elegant, poised; the _perfect_ wife for my son where she will be expected to marry him and produce a son for him when she turns the age of fourteen. She will make our countries powerful again! She will be the perfect sacrifice! This sarifice will bring both our countries together and make us more powerful than ever! Long live Mei!"

The guests around him cheered happily and many repeated with joy, "The perfect sacrifice!", and, "Long live Mei!"

"A Vir-", Lindsay spluttered and stopped and stared at Mei. Mei scratched at one of the scars, hissing at the pain from the scars. Tikal timidly scolded her.

"It's painful, Tikal!", she whined, as a single tear rolled from her left eye and down towards her scars. The tear mixed with the scars and soon the tear had a mixture of blood in it as it continued to slowly roll down her cheek. Lindsay stared at the bloody tear -

… _Tears of blood…_

- with disbelief. She then stared at the other guests. They were all cheering happily at the idea of Mei being the 'perfect sacrifice' and chuckled at Lindsay's shaken state -

… _They're going to laugh at you…_

- whilst she tried to re-gain her thoughts. It was just too confusing; what did they mean by 'Mei will come with us after tonight'? -

… _They're going to take away your most valued possession…_

- and what _exactly _did the markings mean?

"The markings", Lindsay suddenly demanded, "What do they mean?"

"Well, you see", one guest explained, "the 'F' stands for 'possessions', the 'X' means 'sacrifice or gift', the 'B' here means 'female', and the upside-down 'U' means 'power'. I know it's all a bit confusing, my dear, but it is tradition in our religion to carve these particular markings on a girl should she be chosen as a virgin sacrifice for a powerful family"

"But-but", Lindsay stammered. One final thought popped into her mind -

… _They're going to drive you crazy…_

- and with that Lindsay gave a horrified howl and sank to the floor, instantly dropping the gun. She crouched into a small ball and howled tears of shock and horror, screaming loudly if anyone attempted to come near her. So, _this_ was the conspiracy that was put together behind her back. Only she didn't expect the conspiracy to be _that _horrific or barbaric. A virgin sacrifice! They were all mad! Absolutely crazy! It was as though they had no sympathy for Mei at all! Lindsay didn't want to believe that this was happening, but it was. Everybody was celebrating the idea of an innocent young hedgehog sacrificing her freedom and her innocence for all eternity. It didn't make sense at all. They were all monsters!

Lindsay covered her eyes with her hands slowly and breathed in and out heavily, praying that she wouldn't vomit right there and then. It didn't seem to matter, for the guests hardly paid any attention to her nervous breakdown.

Then all of a sudden she felt warm hands resting on her shoulders. Warm, reassuring hands. She clung to them desperately.

"Come on, Linds", the familiar voice told her, "Let's get you out of here"

The person coaxed her out of the ballroom and down the hallway towards the kitchen. Lindsay suddenly didn't care that the person helping her down the hallway was Sonic, she was just relieved to get out of the ballroom where the unbelievable monstrosity was revealed to her. She clung to him and wept. Sonic carried her to the kitchen and gently placed her down on one of the high chairs beside the kitchen units. Lindsay stared at him through her tears.

"I'll get you a drink, Linds", he offered, "Stay where you are. Oh, God, this is all my fault"

"What?", she whispered, "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry", Sonic whimpered and then _he_ began to cry, "I'm so, so sorry for everything!"

"What. Did. You. Do?", Lindsay demanded fiercely. Sonic poured her a glass of water and offered it to her. She didn't bother to take it from him. He placed the glass on the kitchen unit.

"It was _me_", he explained, "I didn't think it would - I mean, I needed to find a solution to sort this country out. The Foreign Commissioner has got money and weapons and the support that we desperately _need_ in this current economy, and I-I-"

"You _what_?", Lindsay persisted.

"I stupidly offered Mei", Sonic admitted, "She was the only thing I could offer him, and-and… it seemed reasonable at the time. I didn't mean to harm her or you in any way, it's just… we need their support, Linds"

"You allowed them to cut up her _face_?", Lindsay asked, "It was you who was behind this the entire time?", she shuddered, "I-I…", and didn't say another word. She hid her face in her hands, shuddering with grief. Sonic rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I can only imagine how your feeling", he explained, "I remember how my own mother reacted when Sonia had the same thing done to her; completely messed her up, but she got over it in time…"

That was the thing; Lindsay felt as if she would _never_ get over it. She recalled how Sonia was kept off of school at one point due to an 'illness' and returned with faint, familiar scars on _her_ face a few months later. Nobody asked, Sonia didn't explain what the scars meant; it was easier that way. Lindsay then recalled meeting her again years later one time when they went shopping together, and how Sonia desperately tried to cover her scars up with make-up, but they remained noticeable. Despite this, Sonia was still a very popular student, though she had lost a lot of her confidence after having her faced scarred.

Lindsay didn't want this to happen to Mei. No mother would want this. She hid her face in her hands once more. Sonic allowed this to happen all because of power and money. It highlighted his insensitive and greedy nature. The idea sickened her to the core.

"Oh, Jesus", she whimpered and sobbed uncontrollably. Sonic nodded slightly, and then suddenly remembered. He knelt down so that he was at her eye level, and placed his hands gently on both sides of her face, so that she was forced to look at him.

"Listen", he informed her, "I've got this cheque a-and I'm giving you and Mei money to get out of here and to start a new life, a-and I just want you both to be happy and… I-I'm just trying to start fresh, that's all", he produced the cheque, "Take it. Take it and then we'll get Mei and you can go off and start over. Never mind me. Just go when you've got Mei and do whatever you want with the money"

Lindsay stared at the cheque. It was a large sum of money, a _very_ large sum of money, but it suddenly didn't matter. Nothing seemed to matter now. It was as if her life wasn't worth living, knowing that her daughter was scarred and possibly indoctrinated at the same time. She stared at the cheque in silence. Sonic waited a few moments before he eventually gave up and went over to the sink to get himself a glass of water. Lindsay then stared at him.

"I can't express how sorry I really am", he explained as he turned the tap on, "I'm really trying to make it up to you… I feel like a monster…"

"It's okay", he heard a soft voice say behind him. He turned around and saw Lindsay stepping towards him slowly, a pained expression on her face. He didn't know what to do.

"You had no other choice", Lindsay whispered, "You needed to make this country great again, and Mei was the only possession you could offer the Foreign Commissioner. You were only thinking of the people in this country… and I understand"

"You… what?", Sonic dared whisper. Did she really mean it? Or was she lying? He had no way of telling.

"It's fine", she reassured him, "I just wish you had been honest with me instead of keeping it from me, that's all"

"I thought the truth would have destroyed you", Sonic admitted, "I thought you wouldn't have been able to handle it"

"I can't handle it because I found out in the worst way possible", Lindsay explained, "If you had told me sooner I would have been prepared fully for it"

"I-I'm sorry", Sonic croaked, "So sorry. For everything"

"It's…", Lindsay answered, "It's okay. Really"

Sonic began to weep and Lindsay responded by hugging him. Surprised by this, Sonic slowly put his arms around her and continued to weep.

"Thanks for the cheque", she whispered.

"Yeah, it's… it's fine", he answered.

"You said never to mind you", she continued, "What did you mean by that?"

"After what I've done?", Sonic asked, "I doubt you would ever want to see me again!"

"I'm _angry_", she explained, "But you have rights to have custody over Mei, and I have to accept that"

"So, you mean…?"

"Once we get Mei and we get out of here and _then_ whenwe've got our new life in order you can see her whenever you want", she promised. Sonic felt her hug him closer. Lindsay must have meant it.

"Yeah, tha-that's okay", he told her, "More than okay, actually!"

"This experience has been good for the both of us, in a sense", Lindsay stated softly.

"What do you mean?", Sonic asked, "Like, it's changed things between us?"

"I mean like you've realised your faults and that you're trying to put things right again by offering us money to start a new life, yeah?"

"Yeah", he admitted.

"Well, for me the experience has made me realise how uptight and selfish I really am", she admitted. Sonic suddenly felt a small sharp point pressing on his back. He frowned. _What's that?_, he thought to himself.

"Sadly, I'm the exception", Lindsay explained, "I'm not willing to change. Sorry"

"What-", Sonic began and was immediately cut off as Lindsay viciously stabbed a sharp kitchen knife into his back. He cried out in pain as she pulled the knife out slightly and stabbed him once again. Lindsay stepped aside, and Sonic instantly fell to the floor. His body twitched as blood spurted out of his wound and onto Lindsay's clothes. She stared at him, the knife in her hand glistening with blood. This time, Sonic was definitely dead. There was no possible way he would have survived such brutal stabbings. His body stopped twitching, blood surrounding him.

Lindsay slowly turned around and left the kitchen. The idea of Sonic changing after everything he had done seemed too good to be true. That's why she did what she did. But now that he was out of the road, there was only one more thing she had to do. God only knew why she was going to do it but it seemed to make sense from her point of view. Her life wasn't worth living. The voice she had heard weeks ago were telling the truth; everybody _had_ driven her to insanity in the end. What was the point in trying to fight against them _now_? It was certainly too late to save Mei. The Foreign Commissioner and his friends already had Mei in their clutches, Lindsay couldn't stop them now. There was no point in trying to be a hero for her daughter. She felt defeated. She _was_ defeated, in the end.

Whilst thinking this, Lindsay reached the main entrance to the ballroom. The guests were entertaining themselves by performing a waltz and, again, didn't notice her until she stepped into the room with the bloody knife. The guests stopped abruptly and stared at her curiously. Lindsay stood upright so that everybody could see her. She waited until the entire room was silent. Only Knuckles had the courage to speak out loud as he ran to her side.

"Jesus, Lindsay", he commented, "What happened? What did you do?"

Lindsay slowly turned round to stare at him and then back at the other guests. They froze, watching her every move.

"The King is dead", she giggled, almost insanely, "Long live the Queen"

And with that, she suddenly raise the knife to her throat, dug the blade into her skin… and abruptly sliced her skin. Lindsay fell to the floor, blood pouring out of her neck. She remained unresponsive.

The guests stared at her limp, bloody body. Knuckles cried out loud and began to sob furiously, hiding his face; not wanting to dent his reputation as a tough guy.

"Such a shame!", one guest commented. The Foreign Commissioner rested one hand on Mei's shoulder.

"Never mind her. Never mind Sonic", he declared, "After all, we still have our souvenir", and smiled down at Mei.

Mei stared impassively at her mother. If she wasn't trained to be obedient for the Foreign Commissioner, she would have reacted towards her mother's suicide to a great extent. But that was the problem - she couldn't react or feel. The experience had left her feeling isolated and deprived from behaving like a 'normal' child. Besides, it wasn't right for a 'special' girl like herself to act in such an inappropriate manner. It wasn't allowed. Because she had to be obedient, she _had _to be perfect. Because she had been trained to do so for so long.

So for now, the Foreign Commissioner, Vanilla, Tikal, and her guests expected her to remain quiet and sit upright; poised and obedient. Just like a 'perfect bride'. So she did.

As if nothing ever happened.


End file.
